' LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 







AN OUTLINE STUDY 
of 

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 



H. Van Oiaameren, 




f SEP 16 1892 

Fricks Printing Company, 




Cor-yrigi t 1892, by 
^EV. H. VAN OMMEREN. 



C5— 

ro 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter. Page. 

I. An Outline of the Book, 9 

II. The Plan of the Fourth Gospel 17 

III. The Introduction, 22 

IV. The First Believers, ...... 27 

V. At Jerusalem and thro Samaria, . . . 37 

VI. The development of Unbelief, . . . . 46 

VII. Preparation for Glorification, . . . .57 

VIII. The Pathway to Glorification, . . .65 

IX. Actual Glorification, 72 

X. The Conclusion, 78 

XI. Conclusion, 82 



mTRODUCTION. 



These outlines and notes are designed to assist the 
elementary student of the Scriptures in the perusal of 
one of the most important books of the Bible. The Gos- 
pel of John, written, as we shall see, by the beloved 
disciple of our Lord, for readers already familiar with 
the man of Nazareth, and containing those sublime 
truths upon which the whole system of christian doc- 
trine rests, should certainly be known by every follow- 
er of Christ. But no amount of helps will save the stu- 
dent who desires to possess an intelligent knowledge of 



this book from a careful study of the book itself. Bible 
study means original work upon the Bible, and can not 
be done for the student, but by him. It is a fault of 
present day Bible study that books about the Bible are 
studied before the Bible itself has been mastered. 

The reader will therefore familiarize him.self with 
the Gospel under consideration before he begins the 
study of these outlines. The Gospel should first be rap- 
idly reviewed, and then read, chapter by chapter, with 
care, the general contents of each chapter being noted. 

This should be done repeatedly, until the contents 
of the Gospel can be told from memory in the order in 
which they occur in the book. The object of this is to 
get before the mind a chronological outline of the life 
of Christ as recorded by John, and this will naturally 
suggest a crude analysis of the book — a logical outline; 
for the book of John is written upon a plan at once u- 
nique and faultless. 

It will be necessary also to examine the Gospel in 
detail. Each section should be read and reread, and 
difficult sentences carefully w^eighed and analyzed be- 
fore any comments upon them are considered. 

Give the mind an opportunity to think and ques- 
tion. If sentences are explained before the need of ex- 
planation is felt, it is simply " light won, light lost 



0 



Therefore in no case let helps be consulted before 
the mmd has arrived to a conclusion of its own or at 
least feels itself assailed by interrogations. 

Upon difficult and controverted passages the true 
student will know to suspend final judgment and hold 
probable solutions for difficulties in abeyance. 



OUTLINE STUDY 
of 

JOHN'S GOSPEL. 



L 

AN OUTLINE OF THE BOOK. 



The Grospel of John, after a brief introduction, be- 
gins with the ministry of Christ. For an account of 
the early years of Christ's life the reader must turn to 
the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. It was prob- 
ably in the beginning of the year 27, A. D. that Jesus, 
coming from his wilderness temptation, was pointed 
out to the public by John the Baptist as The Lamb of 
God. This was in Judea. From Judea he went into 
Galilee, but before he arrived at Cana, six young men 
had discovered him to be the Son of God, and followed 
him as his disciples. At Cana he performed his first mir- 
acle — the turning of water into wine. Thence he went 
to Capernaum, but to remain there only a few days, 
for the feast of the Passover was at hand. 



10 



AN OUTLIXE STUDY 



To observe this Passover — the first of his ministry — 
Jesus, like other Jews, went to Jerusalem. Here he 
purified his Father's house, foretold his violent end and 
discoursed with Nicodemus upon the new life in the 
new Kingdom. 

Afterward he went into the country to assist the 
Baptist in his work. Eight months were spent in ob- 
scurity here in Judea. So poorly was Judaism prepar- 
ed to receive its Messiah that Jesus was obliged to assist 
his forerunner in silently laying the foundations of his 
ministry. When he became conspicuous he left Judea 
to return to Galilee. 

On his way to Galilee he was welcomed by the Sa- 
maritans and saw evidences of a glorious harvest of 
souls to be reaped in the near future. The belief this 
hated nation exercised in Christ contrasts strangely, 
with the opposition from his own people he had just 
sought to avoid. The healing of the nobleman's son is 
the only event recorded by John in connection with 
this sojourn in Galilee. The return of Jesus to attend 
a. feast is next recorded. What feast this was we are 
not told, but judging from what follows in the next 
chapter, chapter six, it was probably the feast of Pu- 
rim, March, A. D. 28, about a month before the Pass- 
over. 

The reader will by this time have asked himself 
whether Jesus was twenty seven years old when he 
began his ministry. He must bear in mind that- our 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



11 



common chronology is incorrect by about four years. 
If Jesus was born in December, he was according to 
our chronology born B. C. 4. So that if he commenced 
his ministry at the age of thirty it was, probably, in 
the fall of A. D. 26. And if his ministry coveredja lit- 
tle more than three years, he died in the Spring A. D. 
30, or when he was in his thirty-fourth year. 

At the feast of Purim, Jesus healed an infirm man 
on the Sabbath day. This miracle was the occasion of 
a controversy, in which Jesus defended his claims a- 
gainst the Jewish authorities. It covers the entire 
fifth chapter. The time of another Passover, April, A. 
D. 28, drew near. Jesus observed this, not in the cap- 
ital city of Jerusalem, but on the north east shore of 
the sea of Tiberias or sea of Galilee. It was a unique 
method of celebrating that ancient feast. He fed a mul- 
titude of weary and hungry people with five loaves and 
two small fishes. The religious lesson which this feast 
was meant to teach, and the spiritual truths to which 
this miracle pointed, were made more clear on the day 
following by a profound discourse on the communicat- 
ed life of God under the figure of bread. Jesus' refus- 
al to be crowned after the miracle of the loaves, and 
his declaration in his discourse on the bread of life that 
the spiritual is the truly real, was very disappointing 
to those of his Galilean followers who looked for the 
establishment of a political kingdom. During the jour- 
ney thro Galilee that followed, in which, by the way, 



12 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



occurred the transfiguration, many of Jesus' disciples 
abandoned him. 

The fourth Gospal gives only a brief account of the 
journey of Jesus to Jerusalem to attend the feast of 
Tabernacles (chap. 7: 1-10). For the details of this 
journey the reader must consult the other EA^angelists. 
This feast took place in October, A. D. 28. The unbe- 
lief of the Jews, which showed itself in bitter oppsition 
to Jesus during his last visit to the Holy City at the 
feast of Purim, had now developed to murderous ha- 
tred. The Galileans had, a few month before this, a- 
bandoned Jesus, because he had disappointed their 
hopes: the Jews of Judea now rejected him, because he 
overstepped the bounds of their creeds and unmasked 
their hypocrisy. The healing of the blind man by Je- 
sus and the excummunication by the Jews, recorded in 
chapter nine, shows the differance between the spirit 
of Christ and that of the Jews. He came to help, to be 
a light, to make the way of salvation easy ; they sought 
to bar people out of the kingdom by making the way 
into it difficult. He swung open wide the doors of the 
Kingdom, they sought to shut them. Hence the allegory 
in the tenth chapter, in which Jesus declares himself to 
be the Door of the sheepfold and the Shepherd of the 
sheep. Thro him men can have access to God and en- 
ter into fellowship with God indpendently of authoriz- 
ed ecclesiastics. 

On the weeks that intervene between the feast of 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOH]^. 



13 



Tabernacles and that of Dedication -(between 10: 21 and 
22, from October to December), John is silent. An 
examination of the other Gospels leads to the conclusion 
that they were spent in Galilee. At the feast of Dedi- 
cation Jesus replied to the hostile question of the Jews 
by alluding to the allegory spoken at his last visit in 
the city. After this, Jesus went to Perea, on the east 
side of the Jordan, but returned soon after to Bethany, 
and there raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. It 
was the miracle of miracles, and could not be passed by,, 
unnoticed. No one questioned the fact, but many were 
anxious about the result, for it was the means of a 
spiritual resurrection in many hearts. It roused th,e 
indifferent to believe, and intensified the faith of such 
as were disciples. The authorities saw all this and de- 
termined to put an end to Jesus. The resurrection of 
Lazarus was therefore the death blow of Jesus. Jesus 
retired to Ephriam. While he was there, living in the 
shadow of the cross that grew darker with evey pass- 
ing day, the Jewish authorities were holding "meetings 
of Messianic murder". 

With the approach of the third Passover the pub- 
lic ministry of Jesus came to a close. It was not nec- 
essary for Jesus to continue his revelation of himself 
any further. The unbelievers were completely hard- 
ened and were taking active measures to put him to 
death. The believers were firmly attatched to him, 
and his revelation had extended far beyond the circle 



14 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



of people to which he had come. The twelfth chapter 
forms therefore a transition from the public ministry 
of Christ to his Passion. The anointing at Bethany, 
the royal entry into Jerusalem and the enquiry of the 
Greeks are the three incidents in this chapter. "By in- 
troducing these three incidents together at this point, 
John wishes to show ( 1 ) that Jesus was now embalm- 
ed in the love of His intimate friends, ( 2 ) that he had 
found in the untutored instincts of the people a re- 
sponse to His claim, and ( 3 ) that even in the still wider 
circle of the outlying nations his name was known". 

The prophetic discourse delivered on the Mount of 
Olives, recorded at length by the first three Evangel- 
ists, is omitted by John. 

With the thirteenth chapter begins the second part 
of the Fourth Gospel. The betrayer had now sold his 
Master. The Passover meal had by special order of 
Christ been prepared on the afternoon before the arrest 
and trial. On the evening of that solemn night, when 
death with every terrible accompaniment was drawing 
near, the company, with Jesus as host, sat down to eat 
themeal in which the Lord symbolically offered himself. 
Jesus, conscious of his divine dignity, and overcome 
by affection for his disciples, taught them, by washing 
their feet, a lesson upon humility. Then, before the in- 
stitution of the Lord's Supper, which supper John does 
not record, follows the dismissal of the traitor. Out 
from the upper room into the night went Judas. But 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 



15 



a darker night must have reigned in the soul of that 
man as he went forth to arrange with the authorites 
for the arrest of Jesus. 

The discourses that follow remind one of the dying 
words of a Father to his children. In reading them we 
feel ourselves in the very vestibule of heaven, almost 
in the very presence of the Father. From the Lord's 
words of communion with his disciples the reader comes 
upon his words of cummunion with the Father. And 
here he feels himself in the presence of the great High- 
Priest, who, standing in the innermost sanctuary, sol- 
emnly consecrates himself, and intercedes for his fol- 
lowers. 

The company now left the upper room, and pass- 
ing thro the streets and out of the city, they crossed 
the bridge that spans the brook Cedron, and entered 
the garden of Gethsemaiie, at the foot of Mount Olives. 
The agony of soul which Christ then and there endur- 
ed is omitted by John. He had just recovered when a 
multitude, with Judas at the head, appeared to arrest 
him. Jesus was brought to trial, first before the Jew- 
ish, then before the Roman authorites. The enemies 
of Jesus were determined upon his death. The voices 
of hatred prevailed, and Jesus was delivered to be cru- 
cified. For three long hours Jesus endured the awful 
sufferings of crucifixion. But the cross was only an- 
other step to the throne. His crucifixion was in truth 
part of his glorification. His grave was the open door 



16 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



to complete glory. "He, rose from the dead; he ascend- 
ed into heaven; and sittsth at the right hand of God 
he Father Almighty". 



OUTLINE. 

I* From the besiiiuiiig- of the ministry, January, A» 
O. 27, to the lirst Passover, April, A. I>, 27 ( i: 19—2: 12). 

II. From the iirst Pasj^over, Ai>i4l, A. I>. 27, to the 
feast of Purim, March, A. O. 28 (2: 13—4: 54). 

III. At the feast of Purim, March, A. !>. 28^ (chap. 5). 

IV. The secoud Passover, in Galilee, April, A. I>. 28 

(6: 1-65). , . _ .... 

V. From the second Passover, April, A. I>. 28 j to the 
feast of Tabernacles, October, A. D. 28 (6: 66—7: 13). 

VI. I>uring- and after the feast of Tabernacles, Octo- 
ber,' A. !>. 28 (7: 14— 10: 21 ). - r . ; 

VII. At the feast of Dedication, December, A. D. 28 

(10: 22—39). 

VIII. From the feast of Dedication, December, A. D. 
28, to the last Passover, April, A. D. 29 (10: 40—13: 36). 

IX. The last Passover and tlieGlorification ( 13: 1-20: 29). 



11. 



THE PLAN OF THE FOURTH GOSPEL. 

The Gospel of John is a unit. It has a beginning, a 
middle and an end. It is an organic whole, arranged 
in perfect harmony of proportions. A noted German 
writer has compared it to ''the robe without seam, for 
which lots may be cast, but which can not be divided". 
"From the first word to the last there is no paragraph, 
sentence, or expression which is out of its place, or 
with which we could dispense. Part hangs together 
with part in perfect balance. The sequence may at 
times be obscure, but sequence there always is. The 
relevancy of this or that remark may not at first sight 
be apparent, but irrelevancy is impossible to this 
writer". 

The purpose the author had in view is told in the 
thirty -first verse of the twentieth chapter of the book. 
"But these are written, that ye might believe that Je- 
sus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye 
might have life through his name". " In other words, 
the writer has sought to reproduce as much of the life 
of Christ as was necessary to enable his readers to see 
that Jesus is both the fulfillment of Jewish hope and 
the revelation of God to the world. He wrote that they 



18 



AX OUTLIXE STUDY 



miglit know Jesus in his office as tlie Christ of God and 
iu his person as the Son of God: and that entering into 
living- and loving communion with God they might 
have eternal life. 

Matthew offers a demonstration that Jesus is the 
Christ the man of Royalty. Mark sets before us a his- 
tory of Jesus the Christ the Man of Power. Luke gives 
us a narrative of Jesus the Christ the Man of Sympathy. 
John relates for us the life of Jesus the Christ the Man 
of Divinity. The aim and object then of John is more 
sublime than that of the other Evangelists. Here we 
see the humanity of Jesus in its simplicity, his divinity 
in its sublimity, and both in their perfect unity. If the 
other Gospels give us a three-fold view of the outer life 
of Christ, this gives us a view of the inner life. It is 
in truth "The Gospel of the heart of Christ". Matthew, 
Mark and Luke introduce us, so to speak, into the sanc- 
tuary, but John removes the veil and lets us look into 
the very Holy of Holies. It need not surprise us then 
to find that a large proportion of the Fourth Gospel 
consists of a reproduction of the discouises of our Lord, 
and especially of those discourses in which Christ tes- 
tified to himself. 

The revelation of God in Christ, is what we might 
term the title of the book. Christ the manifestation of 
God, is the central thought. "And the word became 
flesh and dwelt among us"', is the key the book. The 
manifestation of divinity in humanity, is the author's 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 19 

theme. God in Christ reconciling the world unto him- 
self, is the tliought that runs thro the entire Gospel and 
determines the selection of the material. 

The divine glory of Christ became apparent to the 
disciples upon their acquaintance with him. One of 
them spoke of him as the Messiah (1: 41 ), another as 
the fullillment of the Old Testament (1: 45 ), and a third 
as the Son of God (1: 49 ). This belief, weak and un- 
stable, as it at first was, was confirmed and strength- 
ened by further manifestations of the Divine glory. 
Each succeeding miracle and each succeeding discourse 
was a more clear and more profound revelation, and is- 
sued in greater faith on the part of those who loved the 
God-man, until after the ressurrection, it resulted in 
comple faith in even the most skeptical disciple. This 
disciple spontaneously, as the result of honest convic- 
tion, cried. My Lord and my God. 

But the manifestation of God thro Christ did not 
always elicit faith. As the sun will at the same time 
melt wax and bake clay , so the glory of Christ, as it 
revealed itself in his life and words, led some to belief 
and hardened others to unbelief. The reason for this 
lay not in the nature of the revelation, but in the self- 
chosen disposition of the people. In the very beginning 
of his public ministry, the Jews, not pleased with his 
method of inaugurating a better state of things, de- 
manded a sign of authority. The healing of the infirm 
man was the signal for a long-continued persecution, 



20 



AN OUTLIXE STUDY 



and the resurrection of Lazarus issued in a determina- 
tion to put Jesus to death. 

Both faith and unbelief developed slowly as Christ 
unfolded the mysteries of his life more and more. The 
faith that those who believed in him in the first few 
chapters exercised was very imperfect; and the hostili- 
ty of the unbelieving was quite moderate. The first 
part of the book, chapters one to four, m-ay therefore 
very properly be called the period of comparative in- 
differance. From chapters five to twelve we see unTDe- 
lief growing apace, and opposition becoming violent, 
and latent envy aroused to murderous hatred. All this 
time the belief of the faithful was becoming more pos- 
itive. But the writer dwells in this section almost en- 
tirely upon the unbelief of the people. The section, 
from chapters five to twelve may therefore be called, 
the period of prevailing unbelief. 

From the thirteenth chapter to the end of the bock 
we see the faith of the disciples increased and strength- 
ened by a complete manifestation of their Master "in- 
wardly and morally in His sufferings and death, and 
outwardly and sensibly, in the triumphant event of the 
resurrection"'. This section may therefore appropriate- 
• ly be called, the period of developing faith. 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



21 



GENERAL PLAN. 
Introduction (I: I-I8). 

I. Period of comparative indifference (1: 19-4:54) 

1. The first believers ( i: 19-2: 11 ). 

2. Manifestations at the Capital ( 2: 12-3: 36 ). 

3. The journey into Galilee ( 4: 1-54 ). 

IL Period of prevailng unbelief (chaps. 5-12 ). 

1. Outbreak of persecution (chap. 5 ). 

2. Coinmunion and conflict ( chp. 6 ). 

3. Hostility intensified to miu'der ( chaps. 7-8 ). 

4. Moral blindness of the Jews ( chap. 9 ). 

5. A ttitude of Christ toward the people as contrast- 
ed with that of the Jewish ecclesiastics ( chap. 10) 

0. Final incidents of the public ministry (chaps. 11, 12). 

(1) The resurrection oftazarus (11: 1-44 ). 

(2) Condemnation and retirement (11: 45-57 ). 

(3) The Lord ( 12: i-ii ), The King{ 12: 12-19), The Saviour 
( 12: 20-36). 

Retrospection (12: 37-50). 

in. Period of developing faith (chaps. 13-20). 

1. Preparation for glorification (13: 1-17: 20). 

(1) Unbelief cast out ( 13: 1-32). 

(a) I Act of feet-washing. 

(b) Dismissal of Judas. 

(2) Faith strengthened (chaps. 13-16). 
^(3) Complete consecration (chap. 17). 



22 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



2. The pathway to glorification (chaps. i8, 19 ). 

(1) The trial— faith tested { i8: 1-19: 16). 

(2) The cross — faith scarcely saved ( 19: 17-37 ). 
(3 ) The grave — faith in suspense ( 19: 38-42 ). 

3. Actual glorilicatiou ( 20: 1-29 ). 

(1) An empty tomb and a first appearance (20: 1-18). 

(2) Appearance to the disciples (20: 19-23). 

(3) Appearance for the benefit of Thomas 20: 24-29. 

Conclusion 20: 30-2i: 25. 



III. 

THE INTRODUCTION [1: 1-18]. 

This brief introductory passage is a summary of 
the entire Gospel of John. It is a compendium, con- 
cise and compact. By a few bold strokes of his pen the 
writer traces the history of the self-revelation of God 
from the beginning in creation (v, 3), in human life 
(v. 4), until it culminates in the manifestation of God 
in the flesh (v. 14). Along with this he tells us the ef- 
fect of this revelation upon the world. The manifesta- 
tion of God to man, producing faith in some and unbe- 
lief in others, is what John narrates in the body of the 
book; and what is there related in detail is condensed 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



23 



into a few passages in this introduction. 

The term the writer uses to express the subject of 
the history he is about to relate is very significant. He 
calls him The Word. God is unknown. He is invisi- 
ble, intangible and incomprehensible. But God has ev- 
er been revealing himself. Creation that surrounds us 
declares His power and glory (v. 3), the human soul is 
a reflection of Him (v. 4) and Jesus Christ is the image 
of the invisible God (v. 14). Thus God has ever been 
expressing himself, uttering him^self. And the utter- 
ance of God is called The Word. God, in the sense of 
God revealing himself, is The Word. God in expres- 
sion, God communicating himself is The Word. 

More distinctly than in creation about us has God 
expressed himself within us. He has endowed us with 
noble faculties and given tp us divine capacities. The 
soul of man is a Holy of Holies, the contemplation of 
which fills us with awe. It is a place designed to be 
occupied by God, to be made vital with the life of God 
and to reflect the light of God. But mankind as a rule 
has closed its eyes to the light within. Men have yield- 
ed to a life of sin. The light was therefore in many in- 
stances obscured, not comprehended. 

A few however have cherished the light that was 
within them. They sought the illumination of reason 
iand conscience by entering into the fellowship of love 
and obedience with God. These were the men of lofty 
spiritual genius, in the presence of whom others could 



24 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



feel themselves passing into the light of God. By their 
lives and words they have witnessed to the light divine. 
Such a man was John the Baptist. Having lived in si- 
lent meditation along the lonely shores of the Dead Sea, 
he suddenly appeared to testify to the true light with 
words that seemed to issue from the depths of a soul 
afire with God. 

But he came only to bear witness to the true light. 
He came to prepare men so that when the true light 
would appear "all men through him might believe". 
He was only sent to bear witness of that light (v. 8). 
The Word was the true light. He it was who had ever 
entered the soul of man. By his agency the world had 
been made; he had ever entered into intimate relations 
with the soul of man, touching the conscience and en- 
lightening the reason; and yet when he appeared, the 
world did no more recognize him than did the animals 
in the stable where he was born. Even that nation 
with which the Word had from the time of Samuel, 
yea of Abraham, entered into relations so intimate as 
to be in a special sense his own, received him not (v. 11). 

But a few did receive him. These entered into com- 
munion with him, the communion of spirit with spir- 
it. That is, they believed on his name. This commun- 
ion of the spirit of man with the spirit of Christ gives 
rise to a moral change in the man, to a new birth, And 
hence believers in Christ are called Sons of God. 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



25 



The revelation of God is made apparent in creation 
and in the human soul, but most distinctly in Christ. 
He is the word made flesh. In Christ then we see the 
most perfect revelation of God. Most perfect because 
best adapted to human needs. In Christ's life we may 
not see the physical power and dazzling glory we ex- 
pect, but we see what is a more perfect revelation of 
God than power, namely, love. Here we see what good- 
ness and justice and character are. Here we see God 
as we can see Him nowhere else. As the sun reveals 
himself more clearly by his light than by his wonderful 
powers, by the energies, with which he pervades the 
realms of nature within his reach, so God is revealed 
to us more distinctly thro Christ than thro nature. And 
as he who sees the light of the sun sees the sun, so he 
who sees Christ sees the Father. And to enter into 
commiunion with Christ is to enter into communion 
with God, for in a certain sense Christ is God. 

God manifest in the flesh, tabernacled among men. 
His glory was beheld by his followers. Not anything 
spectacular, such as the Jewish nation looked for, but 
the glory of his likeness to God, his inimitable charac- 
ter. A glory replete with grace and truth — grace cor- 
responding to life and truth to light. The believers, by 
communion with Christ, shared in this glory. Thro 
Christ they became partakers of the divine life and 
light. He contributed of his fulness to his followers. 



2G 



AX OUTLINE STUDY 



not after the legal system of so much for so much, but 
grace for grace. According to the measure of grace re- 
ceived was grace contributed. Hence thro Christ, so 
much more completely than thro the law of Moses, was 
God revealed to man. 

We have here then not only a brief abstract of the 
history that follows, but also John's view of the Christ 
as unfolded in his Gospel. He shows by a few preg- 
nant propositions what Christ is and whence he is. It 
is indeed John's theology summarized, as he derived it 
from the words of Christ, and he inscribes it at the be- 
ginning of his book, for the history he has to relate is 
of decisive importance. The question involved in it is 
one of life and death. Hence this unique preamble. 



AXALYSIS. 

I. The Word in his general manifestations (I-5). 

1. Related to God ( i, 2). 

(1) Co-eternal — In the beginning. 

(2) Co-ordinate— With God. 
(3/ Co-equal — Was God. 

2. Related to creation {3). 

3. Related to mankind (4, 5). 
A. Unbelief of tlie world ( 5). 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOB.^. 



27 



II. The light appearing in the world (6-13). 

1. The witness of the li|?ht ( 6-8). 

2. The lij^ht uuiversal ( 9, 10 ). 

3. The light ignored and received ( 11, 13). 

B. The faith of the cliurch (12, 13), 

III. The flesh the object of experiance in the 

Church (I4-18). 

1. Living- among men [14). 

2. Pointed out by a witness ( 15 ). 

3. Communicated to believers ( 16-18). 

C. The perfect manifestitation of God (18). 



IV. 

THE FIRST BELIEVERS [1: 19-2: 11]. 

The aim the author of this Gospel proposed to him- 
self was to display to his readers the glory of Him who 
was the manifestation of God. He shows in his narra- 
tive the effect the manifestation of the divine glory- 
produced upon the people. He begins his history with 
an account of the testimony to Christ by him whose 
ministry w^as designed to prepare the hearts of the 



28 



AX OUTLIXE STUDY 



people for a favorable reception of the Messiah. John 
the Baptist was the divinely prophesied, divinely qual- 
ified and divinely designated forerunner of Christ. In 
authoritative tones he exhorted men to repentance. He 
gathered a school of disciples about him (Lu. 11: 1\ He 
was the precursor of Christ and intrcduced the people 
to him. The author, a disciple of the Baptist, was one 
of the first who became a disciple of the Lord. Hence 
he introduces the readers of his Gospel to his Lord thro 
the testimony of him who prepared the way for the 
coming of Christ, and by which some became believers 
while others remained in unbelief. 

The Baptist had before this been preaching in the 
wild hill country of Judea. All the region round about 
emptied its inhabitants to hear the voice that broke the 
prophetic silence which had reigned for four hundred 
years. By a rite, new at least in its application, he re- 
quired all who professed faith in his preaching to sym- 
bolize their willingness to enter upon a new life. A- 
mong those who presented themselves for baptism w^as 
Jesus. He had hitherto lived in obscurity in Nazareth, 
and the Baptist had spent his life in the solitude of the 
wilderness. Therefore when Jesus came for baptism 
John did not know him. Yet he saw that he had be- 
fore him a candidate who was superior to himself, and 
shrank from performing for him the rite he had unhes- 
itatingly administered to others. 

Jesus was scarcely baptized, when, according to 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



29 



divine intimation previously given (v, 33), he saw the 
Spirit descend and remain upon Christ. This was the 
sign to the Baptist that he had made manifest to Israel 
the High-baptizer. After the Baptism, in which Jesus 
had voluntarily fulfilled righteousness, he went invol- 
untarily, so to speak, into the desert to have his right- 
eousness tested. Forty days and nights did he contin- 
ue there. Meanwhile the Baptist was becoming more 
popular. The multitude that flocked to him believed 
him to be a prophet. The preaching of this unauthor- 
ized peasant and his novel rite provoked the jealousy 
of the Jews in Jerusalem. They delegated a deputation 
of Priests and Levites of the party most zealous for 
the forms of religion (v. 21) to challenge his authority. 
Their questions would have led a less self-denying per- 
son to lay claim to an exalted position. But John, ab- 
sorbed in his mission and forgetful of self, confessed, I 
am not the Christ. Each successive question, coming 
nearer to his true position and on that account more of 
a temptation to self-exaltation was met with an em- 
phatic denial. The self-effacement of John and deter- 
mination to bring Christ prominently before the people 
(v. 15, 27, 30) appears only with more distinctness in 
the third chapter, where he says that his glory consists 
in seeing ^'the crown of festal joy" placed upon the 
head of the Bridegroom, whose paranymph he is. 

Elias was, according to the popular interpretation 
of the Scriptures to prepare for the Messiah by lustra- 



30 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



tions. But if John is not Elias, nor "that prophet," 
whence his authority to baptize, a rite neither justified 
by his mission nor sanctioned by the authorities? But 
the Messiah is in your midst, said John. He has been 
made manifest to Isreal by Baptism and proclaimed by 
a voice from heaven. You have failed to recognize 
him, but he is in your midst, and that is my authority. 

What came of this interview we are not told. No 
doubt it was reported in Jerusalem, where it was lis- 
tened to with the same moral indifferance that the dep- 
utation heard the words of John. But it must have im- 
pressed the Baptist. Had he missed his opportuntiy 
to demand recognition as the literal Elias, as some 
great one and thus save himself from the hostility of 
those who refused to bow before morality in the garb 
of humility? It was his hour of temptation no doubt, as 
Jesus had his in the wilderness. "Very gently it came 
to him, like the tempered wind that fans the fire into a 
flame, not like that keen, desolating storm-blast which 
swept over the Master". The next day Jesus arrived. 
Did John experience a strength of sympathy when 
he saw Jesus coming such as Jesus experienced, when, 
at the close of his conflict angels ministered unto him? 

In his baptism the pure and holy Jesus had meekly 
identified himself with sinful man to enter his life and 
share his fate. In the wilderness he had struggled 
with temptation as man struggels. Perhaps the effects 
of the conflict as well as the sense of victory appeared 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 31 



on his face. At any rate John pointed Jesus out to the 
by-standers as The Lamb of God, the fulfillment of Old 
Testament prophecy^ and of Old Testament ritual. The 
great sacrifice for man (v. 29), the high baptizer (v. 33), 
the Son of God (v. 34). Thus was Christ introduced, 
thus began the Sabbath of the New Dispensation and 
thus ended the Friday of the Old. 

The marriage at Cana is supposed, from a knowl- 
edge of Jewish customs, to have taken place on a Wed- 
nesday. Reckoning backwards from "the third day" 
(2: 1) thro the days mentioned in verses forty three and 
thirty five of the first chapter, leads to the conclusion 
that the testimony of the Baptist (v. 29-34) was deliver- 
ed on a Friday, the day on which the Lamb of God was 
brought to the slaughter. The day following was the 
Sabbath, our Saturday. On that day, thro the preaching 
of the Baptist, two of his disciples came to be followers 
of Christ. One of these, the writer tells us, was An- 
drew. The name of the other is, it seems, intentional- 
ly suppressed. The inference is that it was the author 
himself. Modesty forbade the mention of his own 
name. Indeed neither that of the author nor that of 
his brother James occurs in this Gospel. John and 
Andrew therefore enjoy the distinction of having been 
the first to attach themselves to Christ. Andrew we 
are told first finds his own brother Simon and brings 
him to Jesus. If Andrew found his own brother first 
the inference is that John was the second to find his 



32 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



brother James. These four disciples constitute the tet- 
rad that heads the lists of apostles in each of the four 
instances where they occur ( Mt. 10: 2-4; Mk. 3: 16-19; 
Lu. G: 14-17; Acts 1: 13). Peter, James and John form 
the inmost circle of Christ's friends and were permitted 
to be present at the raising of Jairus' daughter, at the 
Transfiguration and at the Gethsemane agony. An- 
drew forms a sort of connecting link betAveen these 
three and the rest. Peter always heads the list and 
John bears the enviable distinction of having been 
the bosom friend of Christ. James bears the honor of 
having been the first martyr of the twelve, and John 
the last survivor. This Sabbath spent in the company 
of our Lord and made memorable by the attachment 
to Jesus of those four young men is therefore one of the 
most significant days in the history of the Church. 

The next day Jesus, on the point of going into Gali- 
lee with his disciples, found Philip. On the way Philip 
found Nathanael or Bartholomew. ISTathanael had 
been meditating under the spreading branches of a fig 
tree, perhaps upon the vision of a ladder peopled with 
Angels that Jacob the man of guile had seen in this vi- 
cinity centuries before. When Jesus saw Nathanael 
he said. Behold an Isrelite indeed, in whom is no guile. 
Jesus further showed to ISTathanael that he knew him, 
that he was in union Avith the divne, by telling him 
that he saw him under the fig tree. ISTathanael believ- 
ed. Jesus said, '"Because I said unto thee, I saw thee 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHX. 



33 



under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see great- 
er things than these. Verily, verily I say unto you. 
Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of 
God ascending and descending upon the Son of man". 

This then is the beginning of the ministry of Christ 
and of the church of Christ. These followers now in 
fellowship with christ, and later, with others becoming 
permanent disciples, then apostles, are the foundation 
stones upon which is reared the grandest structure of 
history— the church of God. From the Baptist the first 
two followers learned Christ to be the Lamb of God (v. 
2!)) and the Son of God (v. 34), but after acquaintance 
with him they went forth to proclaim him the Messiah, 
the Christ of God. Philip declared Jesus of Nazareth 
to Nathanael as the fulfillment of the law and of proph- 
.ecy. But Nathanael's faith was staggered at the anti- 
climax, at the great contrast. Surely the Messiah, 
thought he, could not come from a town so near and 
from a family so humble. But seeing Jesus, Nathan- 
ael's faith expressed itself thus, Rabbi, thou art the 
Son of God; thou art the king of Isreal. Son of God, 
that was the expression that the faith of the hearts of 
these disciples brought to their lips. But Jesus called 
himself (v. 51) the Son of man, for he came as our 
Brother, Friend and Saviour, And now, while the 
church believes and teaches the divinity of Christ, it 
must not loose sight of his humanity; for the humanity 
of Christ is the bond that brings man and God together 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



And a contemplation of Christ the Son of man leads 
naturally and necessarily to the belief in christ the 
Son of God. Thd humanity of Jesus is the shining lad- 
der by means of which we rise to God. 

Thus was faith born; but faith needed strengthen- 
ing, confirmation. It was appropriate, almost necessa- 
ry that in some way Christ would manifest himself to 
those now attached to him. An invitation to a mar- 
riage at Cana of Galilee was the occasion of a further 
revelation, of a new manifestation of glory to the dis- 
ciples. By coming to the marriage Jesus surprised all. 
The Baptist had led a rigorous and ascetic life, and the 
disciples naturally expected that he who was greater 
than the Baptist would in this respect exceed his fore- 
runner. By his presence at the wedding, by joining in 
the conversation of the hour, by entering into the joys of 
the occasion, Jesus showed how completely he was iden- 
tified with human life. It was a further revelation of 
himself as the Son of man. 

When the wine failed he could sympathize with 
the embarrassment. But he would not gratify the cu- 
riosity of the guests be manifesting in some spectacular 
way his messianic glory as his mother seems to have 
suggested. He would not perform a miracle, as does the 
magician, for his own glory. But he is willing to re- 
plenish the exhausted supply as an act of filial piety 
and thus reveal at once his divine power and his gra- 
cious disposition. He will in the most unobtrusive 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 35 



manner work a miracle that shall serve as a sign. Ac- 
cording to his orders the waterpots used for ablutions 
were filled to the brim. The servants drew and ^'the 
unconscious water saw its God and blushed". The 
govenor of the feast jested, but the faith of the disci- 
ples was confirmed. It was a further revelation of 
Himself as Son of God. 



ANALYSIS. 
The First Believers (I: I9-2: 11). 
I. The testimonies of the Baptist (I9-37). 

1. To tlie (leimtatioii (19-28). 

(1) Positive (19-23) 

(2) Negative (24-28). 

2. To the toy-staiiders (29-34). 

(1) The lamb of God (29). 

(2) The greater one (30). 

(3) The High-baptizer(3i-33). 

(4) The vSon of God (34). 

3. To two disciples (35-37)- 

A. Testimony to the object of faith. 



II. The first disciples (38-51). 

1. *Foviiid the Messias' (38-42I. 



36 AN OUTLINE STUDY 

2. *Foiiii(l liiiii of whom Moses and tlie prophets did 

write' ^43-45)- 

3, Son of God: Kiu^ of Israel' (44-5i)- 

B. The subjects of faith. 

III. The first miracle (2: i-II). 

C. Confirmation of faith. 



Notes. 

The Jews [v. 19] — This expression is used by John generallj- in the 
sense of the body in Jerusalem opposed to Jesus. 

I AM THE VOICE [v. 23] — Only a voice, but still a voice, and therefore 
not to be questioned but to be heard. 

Shoe's i^aTchet [v. 27] — '-The Rabbis said, Every office which a ser- 
vant will do for his master a scholar should perform for his teajlier, ex- 
cept loosing his sandal thong. ' ' 

What seek ye [v. 38]— Jesus wants to be followed intelligently and 
intentionally. 

Tenth hour [v. 39] — According to Jewish reckoning it was 4 P. M.; 
according to Roman reckoning 10 A. M. Scholars are divided as to 
which John followed. 

Simon [v. 42] — Surnamed Cephas in the language Christ spoke, 
which means stone. The Greek is Peter as Christ is the Greek of the 
Hebrew word Messiah (v. 41). 

Bethsaida [v. 44] — Bethsaida was the fishing station of Cappenaum: 
the two names were used interchangeably. 

Cana of Gai.ii.ee [2: i] — This Cana was near Nazareth and to dis- 
tinguish it from another Cana, on the borders of Phoenicia, the phrase 
'of Galilee' is added. 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHIS". 



37 



^ What have I to do [v. 4] — This reply of Jesus is directed against His 
mother's ambition. He did not reprove her wish to have the wine re- 
plenished, but her desire that He should by a work of magic manifest 
His Messianic glory. 

This miracle, like the work of grace in the heart, seemed to the on- 
lookers the work of man: the servants 'filled', 'drew' and 'bare', but that 
which produced the change was a power unheard and unseen. 



V. 

AT JERUSALEM AND THRO SAMARIA (2: 12-4:: 54). 

The miracle at Caiia vv^as the beginnmg of the pub- 
lic career of Jesus. Henceforth he was to live a life of 
ceaseless public activity. From Cana he went to Cap- 
eruaum, on the north-west shore of the Lake of Galilee. 
He did not remain long in Capernaum at this time, for 
the Passover was at hand and Jesus went to Jerusalem. 

The miracle at Cana showed that Jesus had come 
to turn the water of the old dispensation into the wine 
of the new. Not that he came to insist upon a more 
rigorous asceticism, or to add to the already burden- 
some ritual of the Jew, but to lift mankind to a higher, 
and happier plane of living by a new teaching and by 
communicating to them new life. To bring about the 
end he had in view he went to the capital of the Jews 



38 



AX OUTLINE STUDY 



at a time when people from all parts of the world were 
gathered there. When he entered the temple, lo its 
courts were crowded with noisy merchants and shrewd 
money changers. When Jesus beheld the angry dis- 
putes over the price or Levitical cleanness of the ani- 
mals sold for sacrifices, and the sharp bargaining with 
foreign and Jewish coins, he made a scourge of cords, 
drove out the sheep and oxen, poured the money into 
the receptacle, overthrew the changers* tables and or- 
dered the doves removed. 

The authorities were convicted. None opposed, 
none resisted. But they demanded of Jesus a sign of 
authority. But this — the purification of the Temple — 
was the sign The miracle at Cana was the sign of the 
end Jesus came to bring about, the purification of the 
temple was the sign of how this end was to be attain- 
ed. It was a sign; and the demand for a sign was like 
asking for a candle to see daylight. They should have 
seen it and joined with Jesus in his work of reforma- 
tion. Thro this silent opposition and smouldering hate 
Jesus looked forward to the end. He saw that this little 
cloud of envy portended a storm that was to burst on 
his head. Jesus saw that henceforth he was to be 
hunted up and down b}^ envious Jews, to be trapped 
and taken as a criminal and lastly to be nailed to a 
cross. Hence Jesus '"met their challenge for a sign 
by the challenge of a sign". ''Destroy this temple 
and in three days I will raise it up". 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



39 



Jesus retired from the temple to l-abor in the city. 
What signs he showed here that led many to believe on 
him we are not told. This we know, that the faith of 
these was not an insight into what christ was, but only 
what Christ could do. They were dazzled by Christ's, 
power, but did not enter into communion with his love. 
Such faith, unless it is the beginning of something bet- 
ter, does not deserve the name. Jesus did not entrust 
himself to these believers. 

One of these believers, however, could not pass the 
night without a consultation with this wonderful man. 
He was a member of the Sanhedrim, cautious and tim- 
id. While we censure his timidity let us not forget to 
commend his earnestness; let us remember too that a 
man in his position was running no small risk in ap- 
pearing to side with the new movement. 

The Kingdom of God was at that time the common 
topic of conversation and must have been uppermost in 
the mind of Nicodemus, Jesus went straight to it. 
The Baptist had preached, to the surprise of many 
Jews, that descent from Abraham was not the title to 
admission into this kingdom. Jesus insists, that not 
by natural, but by spiritual birth is the soul admitted. 
It is by a birth from above. It is by repentance from 
sin, symbolized by John's Baptism, and by the commu- 
nication of a new energy to the soul, symbolized by the 
descent of the Spirit in the form of a dove, that one en- 
ters the kingdom of God. ''Except a man be born of 



40 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king- 
dom of God". Ineeed no one can enter the kingdom 
of God except by a birth into it. The worldling is a 
worldling still, even if a Jew, miless he is in possession 
of spiritual life. "That which is born of the flesh is 
flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" Ye 
MUST be born again. 

From the capital Jesns went into the rural districts 
of Judea and assisted John in his work of teaching and 
baptizing. Eight months expired from the Passover 
in April, until the journey of Jesus thro Samaria, four 
months before the harvest (4: 35). John had already 
achieved great popularity, and Jesus was now gaining 
more disciples than John. But the success of these 
men was their danger. Jesus became the subject of 
conversation among the Pharisees. These feared that 
there lurked in Jesus a danger to their organization 
more formidable than John. When Jesus became a- 
ware of this he departed for Galilee. 

Between Judea and Galilee lay the hated country 
of the Samaritans. The Jews, as a rule, avoided this 
country by a route along the east side of the Jordon, 
thro Perea. Jesus did not share in this prejudice, tho, 
out of consideration for the feelings of others, he did 
not think it expedient to begin his ministry among 
them. But this time, in his haste to get out of reach 
he took the most direct route. 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



41 



At Jacob's well, where Jesus sat to rest while the 
disciples went to buy food, he accosted, to her surprise, 
a woman of Samaria come to draw water. The Samar- 
itans were regarded by the Jews as aliens. They were 
the descendants of the people that were settled in Sa- 
maria after the deportation of Israel by Shalmaneser. 
They had a rival temple on Gerezim and a distinct form 
of worship. Hence the Jews treated them with every 
mark of contempt. By his features, his brogue, and 
perhaps also by the white hem of his garment (for that 
of the Samaritans was blue) the woman knew Jesus to 
be a Jew and therefore her reply, "How is it that thou, 
being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman 
of Samaria-'. 

Jesus sought to impress upon the mind of the wom- 
an of Samaria who he was and what he came to bring. 
Christ is the most perfect expression of God known to 
us and the very embodiment of goodness. To enter in- 
to living relation with him, to form his friendship and 
commune with him is to be touched by a rod such as 
Moses used to smite the rock and feel springing up in 
us a well of living water that purifies and refreshes 
the soul. 

The woman did not fully understand Jesus, but she 
was anxious to learn, and so he approached her from 
another direction. He convinces her that he is a proph- 
et, which to her would meant a great deal, for the Samar- 
itans believed in no prophet after Moses except Christ. 



42 



AX OUTLIXE STUDY 



The conversation led her to believe. She will now 
ask what she considers the question of questions. Per- 
haps pointing to the temple on Gerezim, she said, "Our 
fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say, that 
in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. " 
Jesus replied that What we worship is important and 
that what we are to worship is best learned from the 
Jews. But Where Ave worship is of little consequence. 
The localization and centralization of worship is tem- 
porary. A fuller revelation of the fatherhood and 
spirituality of God contains the elements that will dis- 
solve Judaism as a system. 

Jesus had just plainly announced himself ( which 
he had not yet been able to do on Jewish soil), when 
the dialogue was brought to an end b}' the approach of 
the disciples. But the instruction had not been for 
nought. The learned Nicodemus was still meditating 
over the profound Avords cf Jesus, but this ignorant 
Avoman at once acted upon her convictions and brought 
the whole toAvn to see Jesus. It was December. Ths 
harvest Avas four months distant and the green grain 
Avas waving in the sunshine. When Jesus saw the 
throng of men and Avomen coming thro the fields he 
said, The is harA^est not four month distant, it is here; 
behold the fields are AA-hite. This time at least it is true 
that the soAver and the reaper can rejoice together. 

After a stay of tAvo days Jesus proceeded to his na- 
ti\'e proA^ince. His labors here had been Avithout sue- 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 43 



cess. In his own country he had received no honor. 
But the Galileans had seen the miracles he did in Ju- 
dddi, and now when he had returned to Galilee he was 
welcomed. Unlike the Samaritans, the Galileans did 
not believe in him until they saw his credentials in Ju- 
dea. The news of his arrival spread. A Jew in Ca- 
pernaum, attached to the court of Herod Antipas '( per- 
haps Chuza, Herod's steward, Luke 8: 3 ) came to Cana 
where He was and besought Jesus to come down to 
Capernaum to heal his son. It was a faith based, not 
upon a conviction of Christ's goodness but of his power. 
Such faith, founded upon what christ could do instead 
of what he was, and so common in Galilee, Jesus re- 
Ijroved. Yet Jesus healed the boy. But he did not go 
to Capernaum to the court for that purpose. He al- 
ways refused to make a display of his power. Jesus 
never worked a miracle for the sole purpose of remov- 
ing the doubts and answering the objections of men 
^ho weie not drawn to him by his character. He heal- 
ed the child by a word, and that not because he wanted 
to display his power, but because the Son of God, full of 
benevolence, could not but assist the sorrowful father. 

When the father returned home he found his child 
well and learned that he had recovered at the very mo- 
ment the words of healing were spoken. Thus was the 
father's faith led up from belief in Christs works (v. 48) 
to belief in his word (v. 50) to belief in his worth (v. 52). 
We can rest assured that this miracle was not wrought 



44 



AX OUTLINE STUDY 



in vain, and that this family ever after sought to enter 
into living communion with Him whom they believed 
to be the very embodiment of goodness and the image 
of the invisible God. 

Here are then three stages of belief thro which 
this m:ui passed. First, faith in christ as a being of 
Divine power. It was this which Nicodemus and many 
more Jews in Judea possessed. Second, faith in Jesus 
as a being w^ith a Divine mission. This was the kind 
of faith that the woman of Samaria possessed from 
the first. And third, faith in Jesus as a being having 
a Divine character. ISTot until the soul has risen to see 
that Jesus is a being of Divine Character and enters in- 
to living and loving fellowship with him can he be 
said to exercise faith in the sense of faith that saves 
US-makes us better. 



ANALYSIS. 

L In the Temple; the sign of His design; the 
sign of His end (2: 12-22). 

II. In the city and with Nicodemus (2: 28-3: 21). 

III. In the country and with the Baptist(3: 22-31) 

IV. Thro Samaria, the living water and the 

approaching harvest (4: 1-42). 

V. Into Galilee and with the Noblman (4: 43-54). 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



45 



Notes, 

His brethren (2: 12)— These were James (Gal i: 19) the author of 
the epistle bearing his name and leader in the Church of Jerusalem after 
the martyrdom of James the brother of John. Judas, author of the ep- 
pistle of Jude. Joseph and Simon. None of these were apostles. 

Passover (v. 13) — So called because the destroying angel passed ov- 
er the houses whose door-posts were sprinkled with blood. It was ob- 
served on the i4tli. of Nisan, March or April, in the evening, and follow- 
ed by the feast of unleavened bread, lasting altogether about seven days. 

Forty AND six years (v. 20) — This refers to the restoration of the 
temple by Herod. 

The other Evangelists relate a similar cleansing just before the pas- 
sion, "By the iirst expulsion He had invited the people to the reforma- 
tion which cuuld save them; by the second, He protested against the 
profane spirit which was about to destroy them". 

(3- 7.) 8 — The operations of the Spirit are indispensible, invisible and 
independent, and, like the wind of that memorable night, known only 
by their e .ects. 

Question .... about purifying (v. 25)— A dispute perhaps about 
the relative importance of the two baptisms — that of Christ and that of 
John. The Jew may have recounted the great success of Jesus to John; 
but instead of filling John with envy he was filled with joy. 

Give me to drink (4: 7) — Ask a service and gain a soul. 

Marveled that he tai^ked with a woman (v. 18)— Jewish Rab- 
bis would disdain to instruct a woman in the law, and for au}^ man to 
stop and converse with a woman was considered a breach of etiquette. 



VI. 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNBELIEF (5: 1-12: 50). 

The First Public Outbreak of Persecution ( 5: 
1-47). 

L The miracle and the accusation ( I-16). 
n. The defence of Jesus ( 17-47 ). 

1. Relation of the Son to the Father (17-30). 

(1) Oneness with the Father [17-20]. ,, 

(2) Life-giver and Judge [21-30]. 

(a) In general [21-23]. 

(b) In the present life [24-27]. 

(c) In the final judgment [28, 29]. 

2. Corroborative evidences (31-41). 

(1) Testimony of the Farther [32]. 

(2) Testimony of the Baptist [33-35]. 

(3) Testimony of His miracles [36]. 

(4) Testimony of their unbelief [37-40]. 

3. Unbelief reproved (41-47). 

(1) The cause of their unbelief [41-44]. 

(2) The consequence to themselves [45]. 

(3) The connection between faith in Moses and faith in Christ 

[46, 47]- 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



47 



Notes. 

Jesus went into Galilee in December (4: 35) and in the following 
spring, shortly before the Passover (6: 4) he came again to Jerusalem. 
Fur an account of his labors in Galilee during these months the reader 
is referred to the other Evangelists — Matthew, Mark and Luke. The 
feast that the Jews held a short time before the Passover was one observ- 
ed in commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews by Esther and call- 
ed Purl m. It is perhaps this feast that is meant in 5 : I . 

(v. 6) — While the Jews were engaged in discussing the letter of the 
law (v. 39, 41, 44) Jesus went to observe its spirit. 

(v. 4) — This verse is regarded as an interpolation. The intermittent 
moving of the water, due to natural causes, was popularly believed to 
be the work of an angel. This explanation gradually found its way in- 
to the text. 

(v. 10) — They should have stopped to congratulate the patient and to 
do homage to the healer before proceeding to find fault. 

(v. 17) — The rest of Jesus like that of the Father was the rest of bene- 
ficence, not of inaction. ' ■ 

(v. 37, 38) — ^^These Pharisees nibbled assiduously at the husk, but miss- 
ed the kernel; they studied the Bible, but failed to find the Word of God 
contained therein. 

(v. 39)— "To worship the Bible as if it were Christ is to mistake a 
finger-post for a house of shelter. ' ' 

(v. 43) — Sixty four false Messiahs are said to have arisen among the 
Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem. 



48 AX OUTLINE STUDY 

COMMUNION AND CONFLICT IN GALILEE (6: 
•1-71 ) 

ANALYSIS. 

I. The Banquet at Bethsaida and the storm 
on the lake ( 6: 1-21). 

1. Tli« miracle of tlie loaves (1-13). 

2. Ketiremeut and return (14-17)- 

3. AValking- 011 the water (18-21). 

XL Discourse cn the bread of life (22-57). 
III. Dl32iple3brjaj U t3 th:^ t^it (5-71). 

Notes. 

WiSXT OVER THK SKA (v. i) — Herod Antipas had beheaded the Baptist 
(Mat. 14: 12, 13) and Jesus took his discip les /or retirement and rest 
(Mark 6: 30, 31) into the dominion of Philip the Tetrarch, in the vajm- 
ity of Bethsaida Julias (Luice 9: 10), on the east side of the Jordon, just 
before it empties into the sea of Galilee. 

Which is the sea of Tiberias (v, i) — This lake is called in the Old 
Testament the sea of Chinneretli, in the New Testament the sea of Gal- 
ilee or lake Gennesaret, but outside of Palestine it was known in John's 
time as the sea of Tiberias, from a city of that name built on its shore. 

Two HUXRRED PENNYWORTH (v. 7)— The Roman penny was worth 
about fifteen cents. 

That Prophet ( v. 14) — See Deut. 18: 15. This miracle must have 
seemed to these Galileans to have been the fulfillment of that of which 
the miracle of the manua was the t\^e (v. 31). They believed in Christ 
as a superior. But belief in Christ as prophet and king is not necessa- 
rily saving faith. Faith is not mere assent to a doctrine about Christ: 
It is to see in Christ divine goodness and to enter into fellowship with 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



49 



him on that account (v. 53-59). The soul that does this is being saved, 
whatever his \dews about Christ may be, as certainly as the body is nour- 
ished by taking food irrespective of our view of the nature of that food. 

Even was now come (v. 16) — It was evening already at v. 5, see Mat. 
14: 15; this was late in the evening, in the Jewish second evening. 

Towards Capernaum (v. 17) — They w^ere at Bethsaida Julias, and, 
according to Mark's account (6: 45) they were now told to go to Beth- 
saida, that is, Bethsaida of Galilee, the fishing station of Capernaum. 

Jesus WAS NOT COME (v. 17) — They probably expected Jesus to go 
round by land and they would take him in somewhere on the northern 
shore of the lake. 

The SEA AROSE (v. 18) — This lake, tho only twelve miles long and 
less than seven miles across at its widest part, is often suddenly lashed 
by a storm. Read also here Mat. 14: 28-32. 

The multiplication of the loaves and the appeai-ance on the water are 
the only miracles recorded by John that are also found in the other Gos- 
pels. 

If the former of thess foreshadowed the death of Christ as a gift to a 
hungry and starving world. His appearance on the lake foreshadowed 
his resurrection ani reappearance after a sorrowful departure. If the 
miracle of the loaves taught the disciples that Christ was a king, his ap- 
pearance in the storm showed that he was king in a sense too sublime to 
need their crown. If the feeding synlboli^ed our privilege of fellowship 
with the huj:anly-divine, his appearance on the lake symbolized event- 
ual aid in times of trial and temptation. If the one miracle was to 
teach the necessity of communion with Christ, the other foretold the 
hardships Christians are called on to endure and the triumph they will 
eventually achieve. 

Miracles (v. 26) — Better signs, so Revised Version, The miracles 
of our Lord are commonly called signs in John. They were meant to 
lead the mind by analogy from the material to the moral and spiritual. 
But these people saw only the sign and were blind to its spiritual signif- 
ication. Instead of seeing in the bread the sign of something spiritual 
they saw in the sign only the bread. 

(v. 37) — ^The word came in the first half of the verse means to arrive 
and in the second half approach — two entirely different w^ords in the 
original. The soul that keeps itself within the Father's gracious influ- 
ences will reach Christ. And the soul that of its own efforts approaches 
Christ will not be cast out. 



AX OUTLIXE STUDY 



( V. 44) —These words arc directed ajj^ainst those who rejected Christ 
and vet claimed to be childreti of tlie Father. They imply that the man 
who is livini>^ ontside the divine inflnences which move the heart and 
change the life will nat'arally keep at a distai\ce from Christ. 



HOSTILITY IXTEXSIFIED TO MURDER. (7:1-8: 59), 

AXALYSIS. 

I. To the feast of tabernacles (7: 1-13). 

II. Discourse during the feast (7: I4-36). 

1. The orij^iii of His teaclniij*' [14-24], 

2. Tlie origin of His person [25-30]. 

3. Wariiiii<»' in view of His dei>arture[3r-36]. 

III. On and after the great day of the feast 

(7:37-8:59). 

1. Conflicting- opinions [37-52]. 

{!) The Christ or the prophet (37-43)? 

(2j The inspired speaker or the great deceiver (44-49 )? 

(3) The defence of Nicodemus 150-55 ). 

The woman taken in adulterv (7: 53-8: 11). 

2. Testimony and warning' [12-29]. 

3. Judgment respecting Israel [30-59]. 

(1) Slaves, not children (30-47). 

(2) Dishonorers of the Son (48-50). 
131 His Father nut theirs 151-39). 



OF THE GOSPEL OF J0HIS\ 



51 



Notes, 

Walked in Galilee (v. i) — On His way to the mount of transfigu- 
ration some of the disciples left following Jesus (6: 66 ). For a detailed 
account of His journeys thro Galilee the reader must turn to the other 
Gospels, especially lyuke 9: 18-50. 

Feast OF TABERNACLES (v. 2) — This was observed in the seventh 
month, our October, beginning on the fifteenth day of the month and 
continueing for seven days, to which there was added an eighth day 
(Lev. 23: 36; Num. 29: 35). It was intended to commemorate the journey 
thro the wilderness. During its continuance the people dw^elt in booths 
made of branches of trees. These were erected on the flat roofs of the 
houses in Jerusalem so that the whole city resembled a camp of pil- 
grims. 

(V. 3) — His brethren, who hesitated between accepting the miracle 
worker and rejecting the humble carpenter, desired Him to manifest 
His Messianic glory by unmistakable signs in the presence of His Ju- 
dean disciples at the great feast. 

YoiTR TIME IS ALWAYS READY (V. 6) — The world looked for a carnal 
Christ, a messiah to come in worldly splendor. Such a Messiah the 
world would not hate and for the manifestation of such a Messiah the 
time was always titting. But for the manifestation of a Messiah who 
Comes to make the world better, to uijjiiask its hypocrisy, to insist upon 
repentan. e ana the superiority of spiritual things, there is a particular 
time. The Uianifestation of such a Messiah meant the cross, and to this 
Jesus Would ccme b}- gradual approaches. When the hearts of the en- 
emies of Jesus were hopelessly hardened and their hands were no more 
restrained by divine influences the hour of Jesus struck. 

Unto THE FEAST, NOT OPENLY (v. lo) — "What a sad giadation or 
rather degradation, since the first Passover in cli. II.! There, He enter- 
ed the temple Messiah— King; in ch. V., He had arrived as a simple 
pilgrim; here He can no more even come publicly to Jerusalem in this 
character: He is reduced to the necessity of going thither incognito". 

Judge righteous judgement (v. 24) — To what a sublime elevation 
does Jesus here exalt the human reason. He invites us not to deal with 
the Bible as an external authority — formal, absolute and final, but to as- 
certain wliat response the reading of it awakens in the individual. 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



52 



Them of JkrusaIvKM (v. 25)— Note three classes mentioned in this 
chapter: The people, v. 12, 20, 31, 40. Jesus v. 11, 13,15,35; Of Jerua- 
lem, V. 25. 



JUDAISM PUSHING THE NEW ORGANIZATION 
ASIDE (9: 1-41). 



ANALYSIS. 
I. The healing of a blind man (I-12). 

1. The situation [1-5]. 

2. The miracle [6, 7]. 

3. The iiKiuiry [8-12]. 

IL Investigation and excommunication(I3-34). 

1. How can a sinner rto miracles [13-17]. 

2. Our son, born blind [18-23]. 
S. We knoAV whence [24-34]. 

in. The not-seeing seeing and the seeing made 
blind (35-41). 

1. Finds the Saviour and worshijis Him [35-38]. 

2. Those ig norant of the details about the truth ac- 

cept the truth itself, and those versed in knowl- 
edge about it reject it [39J. 

3. Those who know about the truth and yet reject it 

are inexcusable [40-41 j. 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



53 



THE NEW ORGANIZATION GROWING OUT OF 
THE OLD (10: 1-42). 

ANALYSIS. 

I. The allegory of a shepherd and the sheep (i-6) 

1. Thieves entering- tlie fold (i). 

2. A sliepliercl entering (2). 
The sheep know (3-5). 

1. Tlie « Jewish authorites of chapter 9. 

2. True teachers come to the people of God thro the 

authority of the Messiah. 

3. The people of God can distinguish between the 

true and the false. 

II. Christ the door for the shepherd (7-9). 

1. The true people of God did not follow the leade^^'S 
that for several centuries had assumed such high 

autliority (8). 

2. The true teacher is he who gets to the people thro 
the qualifications and authority that Christ lur- 
nishes (9). 

III. Christ the good Shepherd (10-18). 

1. Gives ahundant life (10). 

2. Is unselfishly devoted (11-13) 

3. Knters into close fellowship (14, 15) • 

4. Exercises world-wide influence (16). 

5. Voluntarily surrenders himself (17, 18). 

Concluding remarks (I9-2i). 



54 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



CONTINUATION OF THE DISCOURSE (10:22-42). 
Introduction {22-2/\), 

L Only true sheep can recognize the Divine 
Shepherd (25-26). 

II. The real sheep are safe in the Divine Shep- 

herd's care (27-3i). 

III. Reply to the charge of blasphemy (32-39). 
Concluding remarks (4O-42). 



FJNAL INCIDENTS OF THE PUBLIC MINISTRY 
(11: 1-12: 86). 

I. The Resurrection of Lazarus (11: 1-44). 

1. Jesus and the two sisters [1-4]. 

2. Jesus and the disciples [5-16]. 

3. Jesus and Martha [17-27]. 

4. Jesus and Mary [28-35]. 

5. Jesus and the Jews [36-42]. 

6. Jesus and Lazarus [43, 44]. 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



55 



Condemnation and retirement (45-57). 

1. Alarmed 1)> the effects of the iniraele [45-48]. 

2. determination to destroy [49-52]. 

3. Withdrawal at Ephraim. 

. The Proscribed Christ Revered (12: 1-36). 

1. Honored as Lord (i-n). 

(1) By the 'Supper' and the 'Service (2). 

(2) By the presence of Ivazarus. (2). 

(3) By the prodigality of Mary (3). 

(1) The protest of avarice (4-6). 

(2) The defence of Jesus (7, 8). 

(3) The counsel to kill (9-1 1). 

2. Keeo<» nized as Kinj» (12-19). 

(1) Proclaimed by the people (^12, 13). 

(2) Prophecy fulfilled ( 14-16). 

(3) Phari-^ecs alar.ned ( 17-19). 

3 Aeknowled|4ed as Sav iour of the World (20-36). 

(1) By the Greeks, who sought Him {20-22). 

(2) By Hiniself-to this glory thro death (23-26). 

(3) By the Father-to impress the people (27-30). 

(1) A radical revolution (31-33). 

(2) A decisive moment (34, 35). 

(3) A tuial invitation (36). 



RETROSPECTION (12: 37-50). 

A glance at the Cause of Jewish Unbelief 
(37-43). 



56 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



1. Unbelief rejecting* the testiiiioiij of Christ's mir- 

aeles- [37-41]. 
3. Belief, but without eoiifessioii [42, 43]. 

II. Summing up of Christ's exhortations to 
Belief (44-50). 

1. Belief in His person, benefits thereof [44-46]. 

2. Unbelief of Hiswordsj consequences thereof [47 .50] 



Notes. 

Might be Fur.Fii.i,ED (v. 38)— The prophet did not foretell this in or- 
der that it might happen; rather in order that it might not happen. The 
prophet foretold this because he saw that it would happen. This prophe- 
cy Was therefore not fulfilled because it was foretold, but it was fcie- 
told because the prophet saw^ that it would be fulfilled. 

Hardened their heart ( v. 40) — In accordance with prophecy the 
Jews as a mass refused to hear the message concerning the Messiah. 
Thus they were hardened by their own voluntary acts. They persisted 
in their course even when further exhorted b}- the messengers of 
God. Thus they were hardened by the preaching also (Isa. 6: 10). 
This hardening was their sin, but it was also their punishment. It was 
sin punished by sin. John looks upon the hardening as a divine retri- 
bution and thus attributes it to God. 



VIL 



PREPARATION FOR GLORIFICATION [13: 1-17: 26]. 

The resurrection of Lazarus was the signal for the 
final separation between Jesus and his followers, and 
the Jews. As soon as the Pharisees saw what effect 
this miracle had upon the populace they convened to 
consider the advisability of instituting proceedings a- 
gainst Jesus. It was claimed that the people might 
hail Jesus as the look -for King of the Jews, and then 
in the fight with Rome, which this proclamation would 
provoke, the Jews would lose both their place and na- 
tion. Caiaphas, the High-priest, advised the council to 
sacrifice Jesus and thus save the nation. ^'Then from 
that day forth they took counsel together for to put 
him to death". The advice was carried out, but the 
words of the High -priest were fulfilled in a sense far 
higher than Caiaphas ever dreamt. 

Jesus now withdrew to Ephraim and waited there 
in retirement for the approach of the proper time to 
place himself at the disposal of the nation he came to 
save. When the Passover drew near, he journeyed 
down the east side of the Jordon thro Perea, followed 
by a number of pilgrims. Crossing the Jordon, he 
came to Jericho, where he dined with Zaccheiis and 



58 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



cured Bartimaaus of blindness. On Friday, six days 
before the Passover, he came to Bethany. 

Since the resurrection of Lazarus, the followers of 
Christ clung closer to him than ever. When he return- 
ed to Bethany, they received him as a guest, thus 
avowing their adherance to him whom the authorities 
had proscribed. Here Mary offered her homage to him 
whose burial was so near. 

When the last Sabbath of Christ's life, which was 
passed in Bethany, was over, he went with his disci- 
ples, followed by a multitude, into Jerusalem. The 
pilgrims in the city heard of his coming and ran to 
meet him. This time Jesus allowed what he had hith- 
erto avoided-a j)ublic proclamation of himself as King. 
Of course the Jerusaleniites took no part in the accla- 
mations of the people, but looked on with hatred and^ 
dread. It was late in the day (Mk. 11: 11) when Jesus 
entered. The Temple services were over and the traffic 
of the traders had ceased. After looking round about 
upon all things in the Temple, of which he was Lord, 
but near which he was soon to be crucified, he returned 
with his disciples to Bethany. 

Early on Monday he went again to Jerusalem. On 
the way he cursed a fruitless fig-tree that showed every 
sign of having fruit on it. When he arrived in the 
Temple he saw it filled with Jews, who, like the fig- 
tree, professed fruitf illness but were barren. The 
judgment symbolized in the cur^e pronounced on the 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



59 



fig-tree was here clearly set forth. Once before he had 
cleansed the Temple; but then as a Prophet inviting 
to reformation; this time as Judge to denounce profa- 
nation. 

On Tuesday the authorities interposed. They enter- 
ed into a controversy with him, on points selected be- 
fore, their object being to entangle him in his talk. They 
were anxious for a ground of accusation against him. 
For example, they asked him if it was lawful to give 
tribute to Caesar. If he said Yes, he could be brought 
before the Jewish authorities for disloyalty to Judaism. 
If he said No, they would bring him before the Roman 
authorities for disloyalty to the Emperor. But Jesus 
turned every shaft directed against him round to their 
own breasts. And when he had silenced them "He let 
loose the storm of His indignation, and delivered a- 
gainst them the philippic which is recorded in the 
twenty-third chapter of Matthew" It was his farewell 
to the leaders of the Jewish nation. 

Rejected by the Jews, Jesus was sought by the 
Greeks. The Greek proselytes, who were in the habit 
of coming to Jerusalem to worship, expressed to Philip 
( a Greek name, by the way), a desire to see Jesus. 
When this request, coming as it did from representa- 
tives of the Gentile world, reached the ears of Jesus he 
was deepl}^ moved. He had just been looking at Juda- 
ism going down in a sky black with judgment, and 
now he saw the sun of Heathenism rising in a horizon 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



aglow with the brightest hopes. The desire of these 
Greeks was the earnest of the homage the Heathen 
world would pay to Jesus in the near future. He was 
to be the Saviour of the world. The prince of this 
world was to be cast out, and he to be lifted up upon 
a throne. But how was this glory to be achieved? He 
knew it very well. As the grain of wheat can not mul- 
tiply itself until it is buried, so neither could he save 
the world except by dying. He was to be lifted to the 
throne by means of the cross. It was the thought of 
this that provoked the agonizing cry, "Now is my 
soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me 
from this hour? but for this cause came I unto this 
hour". 

It was on the evening of that same day that Jesus 
delivered his prophetic discourse concerning the last 
things to his disciples on Mount Olives. . 

Wednesday was spent in Bethany. On that day 
Judas stole away to the chief priests, and for a paltry 
sum, bargained to assist in the arrest of Jesus. On 
Thursday, Jesus went with the twelve to the upper 
room prepared for them, to keep the Passover. As they 
were a^DOut to sit down, a dispute arose as to who should 
occupy the place of honor. The table was in the form 
of an open rectangle, and the group was disposed about 
it upon couches on three sides of the table. They re- 
clined on the couches, leaning on the left hand, the 
right being used in eating. The ambitious and self- 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



61 



seeking Judas Iscariot found a place near Jesus, it 
seems next to the Master. John was at Jesus' right, 
leaning on the bosom of Jesus. Peter reclined on the 
opposite side of the table. He seems, after the reproof 
Jesus gave for their undue anxiety about the place of 
honor at table, to have taken the lowest seat. 

During the progress of the meal Jesus rose from 
the table, and laying aside his outer garments, and, 
like one accustomed to menial service, girded himself 
with a towel, took water and began to wash the disci- 
ples' feet. It was meant to impress upon the minds of 
the disciples a very important lesson. The symbol of 
feetwashing was intended to show that true greatness 
always seeks to be of service to others. That a desire 
to serve others is a mark of true dignity, and that true 
dignity is always coupled with true humility. 

The symbol of footwashing served to cleanse the 
disciples of all self-seeking and desire for worldly glory 
except Judas Iscariot. But Jesus would not proceed 
with the supper that was to follow the passover meal 
until every trace of the leaven of carnal ambition was 
removed from his presence. To bring this about he had 
recourse to the last resort: he announced that one of 
the twelve would betray him. It must have sounded 
like a thunder clap to eleven of them. It was meant 
for Judas. Will this charge, made so directly and yet 
so delicately, move the traitor to repentance? No. The 
mean ambition that Judas had nursed so long had 



62 



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gained the mastery over him; he had already sold the 
Master; it might be dangerous to make confession in 
the presence of eleven loyal men; he had gone so far 
that he had reached the point from which it was very 
difficult for him to return. When the guiltless ones 
fell to examining themselve to see if they were capable 
of a crime so contemptible, Judas feigned innocence. 
Peter now beckoned to John to ask Jesus who it was 
that should do this deed. John, reclining in Jesus' bo- 
som, said in a whisper, ''Lord, who is it?" Jesus an- 
swered, ''He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I 
have dipped it". And he gave the sop to Judas. 

This was 'the last outgoing of the pitying love of 
Christ' after the traitor. But Judas took the sop from 
the hand of Jesus. It implied a positive determination 
on the part of Judas to go on in his purpose. It was to 
go beyond the point fj'om which retreat is possble. 
Then said Jesus "That thou doest do quickly". And 
Judas, instead of casting the leaven out of his heart, 
cast himself out. Out into the night he went, a night 
that was followed by an ever increasing gloom in the 
soul of Judas, and that gave him no relief, until he 
was swept into the night of eternity by the dark flood 
of death. 

The disciples did not know why Judas went out. Some 
thought that he had been sent to make purchases, oth- 
ers that he was bidden to go and give something to 
the poor. The skill with which Judas b^d disguised 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



63 



his plans is amazing. But Jesus knew it all. And 
when the traitor was gone, Jesus expressed his feelings 
of relief in these words: "Now is the Son of man glori- 
fied, and God is glorified in him: and God shall glorify 
him in himself, and staightway shall he glorify him". 

The Lords Supper, wdiich John does not record, 
follows. But tho John omits to narrate the symbol of 
communion, he records at great length the words of 
communion that followed the supper. Jesus talks of 
his departure and of the career of the disciples during 
his absence. His discourse resembles the words of a 
dying father to his children. And after the discourse he 
offers himself and his Church in consecration to God. 

ANALYSIS. 
I. Unbelief cast out (13: I-30). 

1. The symbol of footvvasliiiig [1-20]. 

(1) The dignity of huniilit_v (1-5). 

(2) Ivcsson on purification (6-11). 

(3) Exhortation to huniilit_v (12-20). 

(a) The example of Christ (12-15). 

(b) Their relation as servants (15-19). 

(c) Their relation as ambassadors (20). 

2. Dismissal of Jiulas [21-30]. 

(1) Open announcement (21, 22). 

(2) Silent disclosure (23-26). 

(3) Hasty departure (27-30). 

3. Kxpressiou of triumph [31, 32]. 



64 



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Notes. 

Unto THK end (v. i)— Better, To the uttermost. 

Supper being ended (v. 2) — Better during supper. 

No PART WITH ME (v. 8) — Peter's refusal implied that he was not in 
sympathy with the principle this act of footwashing involved. The 
sense of Christ's reph' is that Peter can not share in the possession of 
the Kingdom unless he possesses the spirit that this symbol set forth. 

Save to waspi his feet (v. io) — To wash hands and head is not a 
symbol of humilit}^; onl}^ to wash feet is. The impetuous apostle, in his 
earnestness, said too much. But Jesus turned the bad logic of Peter to 
good account. He makes of the symbol of humility a parable on puri- 
fication. The disciple of Christ is once for all reconciled to God, clean, 
but still needs to be cleansed from the defilement of special sins. 

II. Faith instructed and strengthened (13:33- 

16- 33)- 

1 The departure and return [13: 33-14: 31]. 

(1) The impending separation (33-38). 

(a) Orphanage foretold (33). 

(b) Final charge given (34, 35). 

(c) Unpreparedness revealed (36-38). 

(2) Reunion foretold (14: i-ii). 

(3) Union promised (12-31). 

2. Career of the orphaned disciples [15: 1-16: 15]. 

(i) United to Christ and to oneanother (1-17). 
{2) Disunited from the world (15: 18-16: 4). 
(3) Victory over the world (16: 5-15). 

3. The departure again [16: 16-33]. 

III. Complete Consecration of Christ and his 

Church (chap. 17). 



VIIL 



THE PATHWAY TO GLORIFICATION [18: 1-19: 42]. 

The parting discourse of Jesus had been delivered, 
and the prayer of consecration offered. Jesus now 
went with the eleven from the city to the garden of 
Gethsemane. They descended into the valley of the 
Kedron, crossed the bridge, under which flowed at this 
time a black torrent, and advanced about fifty paces to 
the garden. It was a quiet summer retreat, to which 
Jesus often retired when in Jerusalem. 

That the nearness of the disciples might not intrude 
upon the sacredness of this hour, Jesus separated him- 
self from them; but only a stone's cast, for he wanted 
the sympathy of their presence and the strength of 
their prayers. Jesus prayed in great agony of soul. 
It was a struggle, long and severe, with the thought 
that his glorification could be accomplished only thro 
his humiliation. That the crown could be obtained only 
thro the cross. He came from the stuggle to the disci- 
ples a victor, and with calm countenance and majestic 
carriage went forth to surrender himself to the enemy 
that was seeking his life. 

Judas, we remember, had gone from the passover 



GG AX OUTLINE STUDY 

meal to the office of tlie High-priest. Forthwith prep- 
arations were in progress for the arrest of Jesus. A band 
of soldiers, armed with weapons and bearing torches, 
was procured from the governor. These went to appre- 
hend Jesus, Judas leading the way. Perhaps they first 
went to the place where the supper had been celebrat- 
ed. Not finding their prey here they proceeded to the 
Saviour's favorite retreat. 

When Jesus aroused the disciples from the sleep 
into which they had fallen during his agony, he saw 
the armed band approaching, with Judas at the head. 
Judas saluted Jesus with Hail Rabbi and kissed him. 
The kissing ^vas a prearranged sign to designate him 
whom the soldiers w^ere to take. But the sign was su- 
perfluous; Jesus answered to the salutation thus, ''Be-, 
trayest thou the Son of man with a kiss!-"" and went 
forward to meet the band and said, "Whom seek ye?" 
They answered, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said, "1 am 
he." The soldiers had never before been called to ar- 
rest a man of such dignity, and, overcome by the sense 
of a presence so divine, fell to the ground. Recovering 
themselves, Jesus surrendered himself to them and at 
the same time put in a plea for the safety of his disci- 
ples. 

The leader of the disciples now rushed forwa.rd to 
defend the Master. He drew his sword, and aiming it 
at the head of a servant of the High-priest, cut off his 
right ear. But Jesus restrained all such violence and 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



07 



healed the WDiuid of the servant. The soldiers bow 
bound as a robber him who had daily taught in the 
temple, and conducted him to the city. The disciples 
forsook him and fled. 

Jesus was led to Annas first. Annas was a crafty, 
unscrupulous Sadducee. Tho his son-in-law, Caiaphas, 
was at this time Hig-h -priest, Annas was the virtual 
ruler, and all questions of importance were referred to 
him. We have no account of what occurred before 
Annas, only passing notices that Jesus was first brought 
before him. What is recorded of the trial happened be- 
fore Caiaphas. It is the first part of the trial, the 
preliminaries, that John takes account of, and the trial 
proper, which followed these preliminaries, that is re- 
corded in the other Gospels. 

Jesus was questioned in the beginning of the pro- 
ceedings about his disciples and his doctrine. As to 
his disciples Jesus maintained perfect silence. As to 
his doctrine his reply was that if they really desired to 
know, they could easily ascertain, for his doctrine had 
been openly taught. And at any rate it would only be 
just that witnesses should be brought, and not^that the 
accused should be called upon to testify. The accusers 
felt his words keenly, for they knew that they had ask- 
ed him with the determination to incriminate him and 
they could reply as the convicted only can, with a blow. 
After a long trial, a full account of which is given in 
the other Gospels, no crime could possibly be laid to 



(18 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



the charge of the accused. But he positviely claimed 
to be the Christ, and the authorities, without even ex- 
amining into this claim, or hearing any evidence, con- 
demned him to death. 

When the soldiers had bound Christ, the disciples 
forsook him and fled. Apparent danger threatened 
them, and they did this as a means of safety. But two 
of them soon recovered from fright and returned to fol- 
low the band. The others pass entirely out of sight in 
the record until after the resurrection of Jesus. Peter 
and John went with the band as far as the palace of 
the High-priest. John, who was known to the High- 
priest gained admission and also procured the admis- 
sion of Peter. It was here, while Christ was being 
tried, that Peter fulfilled to the letter the denial pre- 
dicted by his Lord a short time before. Recognized as 
one of the disciples, in the light of the fire that had 
been built in the court, he was asked three times wheth- 
er he was not one of them. But he replied each time 
in the negative. 

Peter was moved to this denial by fear. He for- 
got everything, at this critical moment, except his 
safety. He had seen his Master made captive and had 
himself cut off the ear of one of the captors. Being 
suddenly asked the question, he hastily disclaimed all 
knowledge of Jesus. But while it is easy to tell one 
falsehood, it is difficult to tell only one. With the last 
denial he heard the cock crow. The eyes of the Lord 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



69 



met the eyes of Peter, and Peter calling to mind the 
warning, went out and wept bitterly. 

Jesus had been condemned in the court of the Jews. 
But the Jews did not have the power to carry out their 
death sentence. Judea was subject to the Roman Em- 
pire, and all crimes punishable with death had to be 
tried by the Roman court, The Jews accordingly 
handed their criminal over to Pontius Pilate, the gov- 
ernor, who happened at this time to be in Jerusalem. 

The trial before the Roman governor consisted of 
three stages: first before Pilate, then before Herod, and 
finally before Pilate again. This entire trial of our 
Lord, as well as the crucifixion and death, is narrated 
at great length by each of the four Evangelists. 

Pilate could find no fault with Jesus and sought to 
release him. But it would have injured his popularity 
and endangered his position as governor, if he had not 
sought to please the Jews. Only too often have men 
of position yielded, against their own clear convictions, 
to the cries of those who had it in their power to re- 
move them from office. Pilate, yielding to the clamor 
of the Jews, delivered Jesus to the soldiers to be cruci- 
fied. 

Crucifixion was a horrible death. But Jesus en- 
dured his sufferings with resignation. In it all his 
mind was absorbed in self -forgetting love. He prayed 
for those who crucified him, comforted the penitent 
thief and provided a home for his mother. He hung 
upon the cross for several hours and died with these 
words upon his lips Father, into thy hands 1 commend 
my spirit. 



70 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



ANALYSIS. 
L The trial of Christ (18: I-I9: 16). 

1. Arrested by tlie soldiers [i-ii]. 

(1) The Band to Gethsemane. 

(2) Jesus sun-enders himself. 

(3) Peter's de.rence. ^ 

2. Tried before the Sanhedrim [12-27]. 

(1) Brought to Annas. 

(2) First denial and trial before Caiaphas, 

(3) Futher denial. 

3. Tried before Pihite [18: 28-19: 16]. 

(1) Pilate requires definite charges. 

(2) Pilate finds Christ guiltless. 

(a) Examines into his claims. 

(b) Offers the Jews a choice. 

(c) Scourges Jesus. 

(3) Palate yielded to the Jews. 

(a) Christ made himself Son of God. 

(b) Christ is the rival of Caesar. 

(c) Christ rejected on the alleged ground that 103'alty to 

Rome makes it necessar}^ 

IL The Crucifixion of Christ (19: 17-37). 

1. Kxecution and superscription [17-22]. 

2. Garments disposed of; mother provided for [23-27]. 

3. The sponge for service; the spearthrust for de- 

monstration [28-37]. 



III. The burial of Christ (38-42). 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



71 



Notes. 

Some commentators maintain that this part of the trial, from verse 13 
to 27, occurred before Annas, and not before Caiaphas. That the notices 
"Annas first" and "Sent him bound" (not had sent) are here inserted 
by John to specify distinctly that Jesus was tried by Annas before he 
was brought before Caiaphas. And that the cock-crowing of verse 27 
occurred while Jesus was led from the apartment of Annas to that of 
Caiaphas (see Luke 22: 60-62). 

That Thky might kat the passover (v. 28) — This is usually ex- 
plained to mean, not the passover proper, which was eaten the evening 
before, but the peace offering of that Friday, — the word passover being 
used in the wider sense to include the whole feast. 

Scourged (19-1) — This was a most cruel punishment. The scourge 
was made of thongs armed at the extremit}^ with pieces of lead. The 
victim was tied to a post and the blows were inflicted upon the bare 
back. Death sometimes followed immediately. Pilate seems to have 
oTdered this punishment in order to awaken the compassion of the mul- 
titude. 

The preparation (v. 14) — This was the day on which the food for 
the Sabbath was prepared. 

About the sixth hour (v. 14) — Mark 15: 25 reads The third hour, 
when Jesus was crucified, that is, nine o'clock in the morning. "The 
Jewish day was divided, like the night into four portions of three hours 
each. This fact explains why in the whole New Testament mention is 
scarcely ever niade of any hours except the third sixth and ninth. . . . 
As the third hour of Mark, properly nine o'clock, may include all the 
time from eight to ten, so the sixth hour in John certainly includes from 
eleven to twelve. The difference, therefore, is no longer so very great." 



IX. 



ACTUAL GLORIFICATION. 

It was all over. The Jews had silenced at last 
him who had exposed the hollowness of their preten- 
sions. They had triumphed at last over him who had 
come to reform and save. Jesus lay safely" buried in 
the tomb of Joseph. A stone, sealed, lay before the 
tomb and it was guarded by four soldiers. Judas had 
gone to his fate, and for the rest there was nothing but 
to go to their homes and prepare to follow their former 
vocations. They had heard Jesus speak of the resur- 
rection, but only the enemies of Christ took his words 
in the literal sense. It was the evidence of the resur- 
rection that led the disciples to the knowledge of what 
Jesus taught on the subject; their knowledge of what 
he taught did not lead them to expect it. 

Early on Sunday morning, the women who had 
lovingly watched the burial on Friday, hastened to the 
rock-hewn sepulcher. Mary Magdalene seems to have 
arrived at the tomb first. Seeing that the stone at the 
door of the sepulcher had been disturbed, and without 
waiting to make further inquiry, she hastened to tell 
Peter and John that her Lord had been removed. 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



73 



Presently the other women arrived at the tomb and 
were told by the angel that Jesus had risen from the 
dead, who also bade them to make it known to the dis- 
ciples. These women had left the tomb when Peter 
and John arrived. John, young and quick, reached 
the tomb first, but being timid, only looked in. Peter, 
more slow but more impulsive and bold, entered it. 
John, emboldened by the courage of his companion, 
followed within the sepulcher. The thought of the lit- 
eral resurrection of the body never entered their minds. 
They were perplexed. They returned to their homes 
to wait for further developments. 

Peter and John had left the tomb when Mary Mag- 
dalene again returned. She stood by the empty grave 
and wept. She stooped to take a careful look into the 
grave, when she saw it, not empty but occupied. Two 
angels were seated, one at the head and the other at 
the feet, where the body had lain. To their question 
she replied, "They have taken away my Lord, and I 
know not where they have laid him". So speaking, 
she turned herself back, and, blinded by her tears, ad- 
dressed him whom she supposed to be the gardener. 
''He spoke her name in those well-remembered accents 
that had first unboimd her from sevenfold demoniac 
power" She recognized him and cried, Rabboni, and fell 
at his feet, assured that her Saviour, departed for a 
time, had returned, and that now her fellowship with 
him was to be renewed and to continue forever. But 
Jesus said: Touch me not. Not until I have ascended 



74 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



and returned again will I permanently abide with you. 
Therefore do not remain here but go and tell my breth- 
ren that I ascend to prepare for eternal fellowship with 
them. 

The women had immediately set out to make known 
to the disciples what they had seen. On their way they 
were met by the risen Saviour (Mat. 28: 9, 10). Like 
Mary Magdalene, they held him by the feet and wor- 
shipped him. As Jesus had commanded Mary Magda- 
lene, so he now also tells these women to go tell the 
disciples. Indeed the account of tbe appearance to the 
women resmbles that to Mary Magdalene so closely 
that some commentators have regarded the latter as a 
mere detailed account of the former. After the appear- 
ance to the women Jesus was seen by Simon Peter (Lu. 
24: 34; I. Cor. 15: 5). On the afternoon of that same day 
he appeared to two disciples on their way to Emmaus 
(Lu. 24: 13-31). 

The two disciples at Emmaus could not keep the . 
good news of the resurrection to themselves. They 
hastened at once to Jerusalem to tell the disciples there 
what they had seen. But they were anticipated. They 
found the disciples gathered together with doors closed, 
for they feared that the empty tomb would arouse per- 
secution. When the two gained admission, before they 
had opportunity to tell what they had seen, they were 
told that the Lord had risen and appeared to Simon 
Peter. The two from Emmaus then related how they 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



75 



had met Jesus in the way and how he was known to 
them in breaking of bread. Presently Jesus himself 
appeare.d in their midst w^ith the salutation, Peace be 
unto you. To convince the disciples that he was not a 
strange unhuman being, not a disembodied spirit, but 
the same Jesus whom they had followed and loved, he 
showed them his hands and his side, and did eat before 
them (Lu. 24: 43). It was at this time that Jesus com- 
missioned his disciples to be his ambassadors; qualified 
them for this in the measure possible before Pentecost; 
and empowered them to remit and to retain sins. 

Thomas, one of the Apostles, was not present at 
this appearance. When he heard of it, he declared 
that he would not believe it unless he should see the 
print of the nails in the hands of Jesus, and put his 
finger in the print of the nails, and thrust his hand in- 
to his side. He knew, no doubt, that the tomb was 
empty, and probably believed that Jesus had risen, but 
he did not believe that Jesus had appeared as the same 
Jesus of Nazareth. If he had appeared at all, it must 
have been, thought he, in some spiritual manner. A 
whole week passed. Sunday, the memorial day of the 
resurrection and the birth-day of the Church, again ar- 
rived. The disciples were again assembled with closed 
doors, Thomas being prosent. Again Jesus appeared 
and with the same salutation as the Sunday before. 
He offered to Thomas the evidence Thomas had de- 
Ifhanded. It was enough. There was before him the 



76 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



resurrected Christ, who, as he had done so often before, 
revealed to Thomas the state of his heart and repeated to 
him the very words which Thomas thought he had ut- 
tered in Christs absence. Faith now quickened by 
sight forced from the lips of Thomas the cry of convic- 
tion and adoration. My Lord and my God. It only re- 
mained for Jesus to add, after the last of the Apostles 
had been brought to belief, that while he had been 
brought to belief thro sight, they would be blessed who 
had not seen and yet believed. He is blessed whose 
faith in the risen Saviour is the outcome of communion 
and fellowship with Christ, rather than of external 
evidence. This was the kind of evidence the Apostles 
would mainly have to appaal to in thair labors as ambas- 
sadors. 

Gradually, as the slow sunrise of Easter miorning, did 
the knowledge of the resurrection dawn upon the minds 
of the disciples, and gradually did faith take the place 
of unbelief. Had he appeared suddenly and only once, 
like a meteor passing across the sky, and then depart- 
ed, the disciples might afterward have doubted the evi- 
dence of even their own senses. But the apostles first 
heard of the empty tomb and of the resurrection thro 
others, thus giving their minds opportunity to doubt 
and consider. Then Jesus, after appearing to the 
women, appeared to one Apostle. Then to two disci- 
ples. Then to the disciples in the .absence of Thom.as, 
and a week later to the disciples, in the presence of 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 77 

Thomas. Other appearances are mentioned elsewhere. 
They all occurred perhaps in the following order: — 

1. To Mary Mag-daleiie, Mark i6: 9; Jno. 20: 11-18. 

2. To the women. Mat. 28. 9. 

3. To Simon Peter, Lu. 24: 34; 1. Cor. 15: 5. 

4. ToCleopas and Iinke(?), Lu. 24: 13-31. 

5. To Disciples in Jerusalem, Lu. 24: 33-49; Jno. 20: 19-23. 

0. To Tliomas with the rest, Jno. 20: 26-29. 

7. At the Sea of Tiberias, Jno. 21. 

8. To the Apostles in the presence of live hundred, Mat. 28: 

16-20; I. Cor. 15: 6. 

9. To James, I. Cor. 15: 7. 

10. At the Ascension, Lu. 24: 50-53; Ac. i: 4. 

ANALYSIS. 
ACTUAL GLORIFICATION (20: 1-29). 

1. An empty tomb and appearance to Mary 

(I-I8). 

A glorified but departing Christ. 
The faith of John restored. 



78 AN OUTLINE STUDY 

II. Appearance to the disciples (I9-23). 

The glorified Christ, the identical Saviour. 
The faith of the disciples restored. 

III. Appearance to Thomas and the rest (24- 

23). 

The same Saviour, but believed in thro 
insight rather than sight. 

The faith of the most skeptical restored. 



X. 

THE CONCLUSION [20: 30-21: 25]. 

The account of the life of Christ, according to the 
writer's plan, is completed. Fio n an abundance of ma- 
terial at his disposal, the author selected for publication 
what seemed to him necessary in order to show that 
Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God in the flesh. 
He omits some very important incidents in the life of 
Christ. We would naturally expect from John an ac- 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



79 



count of the Birth, the Baptism, the Transfiguration 
and the Ascension. But these incidents had already 
received wide publicity thro the other Evangelists. 
John recorded only what in his judgment was necessa- 
ry to lead his readers, already familiar with the other 
Gospels, to the highest form of faith in Jesus as the 
Christ and Jesus as the Son of God: in Jesus as the re- 
alization of Jewish hope, and the revelation of divinity 
in humanity. And that by believing in him, by enter- 
ing into fellowship with him, they might have life. 

Another section remained to be added to this Gos- 
pel. It was written no doubt at the request of disciples^ 
and by the same author as the Gospel' or at least at his 
dictation. It is an account of the third appearance of 
Jesus to the circle of Apostles. ; - : t 

The Apostles had gone back from Jerusalem to 
Galilee (Mat. 28: 16). Seven of the disciples, with 
Peter as leader, went fishing on the Lake. The toil of 
the night was fruitless. In the morning they saw in 
the dimness of early dawn a stranger on the shore, who 
asked them, "Children, have ye any meat?" When he 
heard the answer of the disciples he said, "Cast the 
net on the right side of the ship and ye shall find." 
They obeyed, 'and now they were not able to draw it, 
for the multitude of fishes'. John said, "It is the 
Lord". Peter put on his fisher's garment over the un- 
derwear he had on (one thus clad in underwear was 
called naked) and swam and waded to Jesus. By the 



80 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



time the other disciples arrived with the boat and net 
of fishes dragging after it, Jesus had, with the aid of 
Peter probably, procured fish and bread, and built a 
fire. When the disciples came to land with the boat, 
the haul was drawn to shore, and a morning meal was 
taken. It was a significant lesson to the Apostles. 
They were soon to begin their work of toil in the Church 
under new circumstances. Jesus had showed these 
disciples, when they first followed him, what their fu- 
ture vocation was to be, by the symbol of a miraculous 
draught of fishes (Lu. 5:1-11), so now, when he was 
about to leave them, he showed them in a similar man- 
ner what their final success and reward should be. In 
this miracle the net did not break, neither were the 
fishes drawn into the boats on the sea. It was to teach 
the disciples that when the Church will finally be 
brought to the other side, after the night of toil on the 
restless sea of time, it would be one united unbroken 
Church, in the enjoyment of the immediate fellowship 
of him under whose direction they have been saved. 

After the repast Jesus appealed three times to the 
love and fidelity of Peter. Only a few days before this 
Peter claimed superior love to Jesus (Mat. 26: 33); now 
the Lord asks him whether he loved him more than did 
the others. Shortly before, he had thrice, before the 
fire in the "hall", denied his Lord: now he is thrice ask- 
ed, before the fire on which they had roasted their 
fish, "Lovest thou me?" The questions sank deep into 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



81 



the heart of Peter, But they were necessary for Peter. 
He was now restored to his former position. Jesus also 
added that his fidelity would be once more brought to 
the test. He would be bound and led away for martyr- 
dom. 

Jesus now turned and said to Peter, "Follow me". 
Peter obeyed, but saw also John following. The inter- 
est that Peter had in his brother Apostle naturally 
prompted the question, "Lord, and what shall this man 
do?" The reply that Jesus made has been variously 
understood. It was misunderstood in that day, as the 
writer tells us. Jesus may have only stated a supposi- 
tion. But if he made a prophetical announcement, the 
most natural intepretation of his words seems to be 
this: John would live to see the Jewish economy pass 
away; he would live to see the capitol of the Jews de- 
stoyed, and Christianity reared over the ruins; he 
would not taste of death till he had seen the Son of man 
coming in his kingdom. 

The book concludes with a postscript, attesting to 
the genuineness of its authorship, and was added, no 
doubt, by those to whom its publication was entrusted. 



82 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



ANALYSIS. 
THE CONCLUSION [20: 30-21: 25]. 

I. Concluding note (20: 30, 31). 

II. Appearance at the Sea of Tiberias (21: L 

23). 

1. Work and vision [1-4]. 

2. Love and service [15-17]. 

3. Fidelity and loyalty [18-23]. 

III. Postscript (24-25). 



XI. 

CONCLUSION. 

The Gospel of John was originally written in the 
Greek language. The writer was however a Jew, 
whose mother tongue was the Hebrew, and to whom 
Greek was an acquired language. This appears from 
the use of certain words and phrases, from the arrange- 
ment of the clauses, from the simplicity of the con- 
struction of the sentences, and from the comparative 
poverty of the vocabulary. On almost every page he 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



83 



shows thorough familiarity with Jewish customs, and 
an exact knowledge of the topography of the district of 
which he writes, and everything he states seems to 
come from one who was present as an eye and ear wit- 
ness. Moreover, it appears that the writer was an in- 
timate friend of Jesus, and that he was admitted to the 
very secrets of our Lord's life. 

It is only natural that the author should suppress 
his name throughout his Gospel, and that he should 
call himself The disciple whom Jesus loved. This dis- 
ciple was none other than John. He who, with James 
and Peter, was the spectator of the more private events 
of the saviour's life, who leaned on Jesus' bosom at the 
supper, who alone of the Apostles attended the cruci- 
fixion, and to whom was committed the care of the 
widowed mother of Jesus. Since he is the author of 
this Gospel, it is not necessary for him to distinguish 
himself from the other John by the term Baptist, as do 
the other Evangelists. 

John was the younger of the two sons of Zebedee 
and Salome. We say younger, because when the two 
are mentionded together James receives the first place. 
His father was a fisherman, and since he kept hired 
servants, no doubt a man of means. If Salome, as 
some suppose, was a sister of Mary the mother of Je- 
sus, John was a cousin of Jesus. When the Baptist, 
also a near relative of Jesus, preached and baptized in 
the wilderness of Judea, John became one of his disci- 



84 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



pies. But the Baptist was only the precursor of Christ^ 
When Christ came into Judea, this disciple of the last 
and greatest representative of Judaism became the dis- 
ciple of the first and greatest representative of Chris- 
tianity. 

During the ministry of Jesus, it seems that John 
had a home in Jerusalem. No doubt this was the lodg- 
ing place of Jesus when in Judea, as the home of Peter 
was his lodging place when in Galilee. Perhaps it was 
here that Nicodemus came by night, that Mary Mag- 
dalene came to announce that the tomb of her Lord had 
been disturbed, that he took the mother of Jesus when 
he assumed the care of her at the crucifixion, and from 
thence that he went with Peter upon his Apostolic 
Journeys throughout Judea. 

After the day of Pentecost he labored in Judea 
with the other Apostles, and was classed as one of the 
pillars of the church. Later on he went, as did many 
other christians, into Asia Minor. ''The center of 
gravity of the church was no longer at Jerusalem, it 
was not yet at Rome; it was at Ephesus.'' Here John 
spent a number of years as a preacher among the 
Christians, and as an overseer of the churches of Asia 
Minor. And here at Ephesus, the seat of many 
various schools of philosophy, the contemplative 
nature of the man found a congenial atmosphere. He 
was for a time banished to Patmos, an island in 
the Aegean sea, where he saw the visions that 
constitute the book of Revelation, but he was re- 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 85 

stored again to his favorite city. Here in Ephesus he 
wrote his Gospel, and here he spent the last days of his 
life, dying, it is said, about the close of the first cen- 
tury. 

The author of the Fourth Gospel was a man of in- 
tense earnestness and violent energy. It was on this 
account that he and his brother were called Boanerges, 
or sons of thunder. But John's earnestness was an 
earnestness that expressed itself in feeling, not like 
that of Peter, which expressed itself in action. John's 
devotion to Christ was intensive, while that of Peter 
extensive. John was a man of earnest devotion. He 
was an Apostle of love, as Peter was of hope and Paul 
of faith. He was a man of warm and tender affec- 
tions. This brought him nearer than any of the twelve 
to the heart of Jesus. He who became the first disci- 
ple, who was the first to recover himself from the flight 
at Gethsemane, and the only one of the twelve that 
stood by the cross, deserves to be called the disciple 
who loved Jesus, instead, as he miodestly designates 
himself, "The disciple whom Jesus loved.'' If Abra- 
ham was the friend of God, and Peter was the friend 
of Christ, truly John was the friend of Jesus. 

John, like the other Evangelists, was adapted by 
his natural character and previous training to repro- 
duce such reminiscences of the life of our Lord as would 
supply a particular need of the world. Thus while 
Matthew was adapted to represent Christ as the man 



86 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



of Royalty, and thus supply the needs of the Jew or of 
persons naturally Jewish; and while Mark was adapted 
to represent Christ has the man of Power, and thus sup- 
ply the needs of Romans; and while Luke was adapt- 
ed by his previous training as physician to represent 
Christ as the man of Sympathy, and thus supply the 
needs of the Gentle mind, so John, the man of contem- 
plation, nurtured upon the very bosom of Jesus, was 
adapted to represent Christ as the man of Divinity, and 
supply for all time the needs of the church. For John 
does record only the sublimer and more spiritual reve- 
lations Christ made. He omits all about the childhood 
of Jesus, and begins at once with his ministry, and se- 
lects from it only those incidents and discourses which 
disclose to us the inner and higher nature of Jesus. It 
is indeed the Gospel of the heart of Christ, as the other 
three might be termed the Gospel of the body of Christ. 
Matthew, Mark, and Luke indeed admit us into the 
Temple of the Lord, but John removes the veil and per- 
mits us to see the Holy of holies. 

John loved Jesus, but he also meditated upon him. 
He was a man of thought as well as of affection. He 
was the Apostle of contemplation, as Peter was of ac- 
tion and Paul of progression. Peter might labor to 
found the church, Paul to extend it, but it was left to 
John to equip it with truth and life and bring it to com- 
pletion. It. was left to John to contribute to the church 
the more profound revelations Christ had made. He 



OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. 



87 



understood the nature of Christ as no one else did. His 
introduction is an explanation of the Christ, written 
across his Gospel, to make Christ intelligible to his 
readers, and has no equal in literature. It contains a 
whole system of theology. John had a deep insight 
into spiritual things. He understood as none of the 
Evangelists did the meaning of such words as Life, 
Light and Love. He was able to fathom the profound 
depths of revelation Christ made, and his eagle eye 
could scale to the loftiest heights to which Christ rose 
in his teachings. Hence after the first three Evangel- 
ists had recorded the more simple revelations of Christ, 
John wrote the more profound instructions. The first 
three Evangelists made a record of the miracles Christ 
wrought and of the parables he spoke, John confines 
himself principally to the great discourses delivered by 
our Lord, and especially to those discourses in which 
Jesus testified to himself. The glory of our Lord shone 
forth in the most extraordinary manner in the city 
where the powers of darkness were concentrated for 
his destruction. Jesus made the most profound dis- 
closures of his divinity in Judea and Jerusalem. Hence 
when John, who is concerned with reproducing only 
the more elevated and heavenly incidents in the life of 
Christ, selects, out of three years' ministry what took 
only three weeks to transpire, selects those specially 
sublime revelations, his Gospel is naturally and of ne- 
cessity limited almost entirely to what Jesus did in 



88 



AN OUTLINE STUDY 



Judea and Jerusalem. 

John has set before us then in a chronological 
framework, carefully arranged, and with perfect unity 
of aim, those sublimer incidents in Christ's life which 
had been the means of producing faith in all those 
whose moral experience taught them the need of a Sa- 
vior. He also shows in his Gospel, and with great dis- 
tinctness, how those who were alienated from God, 
were led by this same revelation to increasing unbe- 
lief, which developed into persecution and ended in 
outrage. But he himself had found in the revelation 
be reproduces, the effectual means for satisfying the 
deepest wants of his soul. From the time that he first 
became a disciple, until after the resurrection at the 
sea of Tiberias he dined with him, yea until the time 
he wrote this Gospel, he found that fellowship with 
Christ, belief in him, brought life. And it was his 
earnest wish, as he says in his closing chapter, that 
others may have a like experience, may believe in him 
and obtain life, And it is the earnest desire of him 
who penned the lines of this book, with a view to help 
to make it plain to young Christians, that his readers 
may enter into daily commanion with Him who is the 
source of life. 



L.IBMAMY Ul- i^UN<jMt5>S> 



0 040 431 269 8 



